


To Save a Life

by rachelovesklaine



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Angst, Lifeguard!Blaine, M/M, Minor Character Death, Ocean, Summer, Terminal Illnesses, beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 15:40:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 97,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelovesklaine/pseuds/rachelovesklaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is the summer after senior year and Kurt Hummel has to stay with a sick relative against his wishes. Will Kurt have a horrible summer? Or will lifeguard Blaine Anderson change his plans, and maybe save his life once or twice?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! So I wrote this story quite a while ago and I'm finally uploading it to AO3. This story takes place after what would have been season 3 in a universe where Kurt never went to Dalton and Kurt and Blaine never met. Lifeguard!Blaine and a minor character death. ~Rachel

_Saturday May 26, 2012  
Week 1 Day 1_

Kurt Hummel stared quietly out the window of his dad's car as Finn slept and snored loudly in the seat beside him. They'd been driving for six hours and Kurt was tired of waiting to arrive at their destination. "I still don't know why we have to go," Kurt said with a stand-offish tone, crossing his arms.

"Kurt," Carole Hudson-Hummel said from the passenger seat of the car, "I know this is not the most ideal way to spend your last summer vacation before you go off to NYADA, but my aunt needs us to be there for her. She's the closest thing I've ever had to a mother. This may be the only way I can pay her back for all those years."

Kurt knew that Carole had to take care of her aunt. Aunt Annie was in the final stages of Alzheimer's, and there was not much hope left. The doctors were almost certain she wasn't going to live to the end of the summer.

All four of them were going to live with Aunt Annie in her small, ocean front cottage in Ocean City, New Jersey for the summer. It wasn't just that Kurt wouldn't get to spend his last summer before college with his friends; he didn't have many, slowly becoming more and more antisocial after junior year.

During junior year Kurt's bullying had escalated out of control. Karofsky threatened to kill him if he ever told anyone about what happened in the locker room. No one ever really helped him. In response, he learned to keep a low profile and not to be expressive about who he was. Senior year started to get better after Karofsky transferred, but the damage had already been done. Kurt wasn't the same anymore.

He over thought everything he said, started mistaking sincerity for pity, and didn't let many people in anymore. He only truly expressed himself to Mercedes, Rachel, and sometimes Finn. Even then he never felt like he had anyone who knew what he was going through.

But there was something even greater keeping him from the ocean than being able to hang out with his few friends over the summer.

Kurt sighed and focused on the trees quickly passing by his window. "I know Carole," Kurt said with a defeated tone. "It's just…the ocean…and my mom…that day…" Kurt drifted off, becoming emotional.

It was Burt's turn to reassure his son. "It's okay, Kurt. I know that was a horrible day for you, but your mother wouldn't want you to be afraid of the ocean forever."

Kurt tried to will the memories from returning.

_He was only 8 years old when he, Burt, and his mother went on long drive to Cape Cod. His mother always loved the ocean, and she would travel to Massachusetts almost every summer with her family. She decided to take Kurt and his dad out, to show them what they were missing._

_One evening, Kurt and his parents went out on a private boat just before sunset. Kurt couldn't believe how beautiful the sky looked while out on the water, how the pinks and oranges mixed together and faded into the blue of the ocean. But what the family couldn't see was the army of clouds coming from the other direction._

_Suddenly, large drops of water began to fall on the boat, and quickly Kurt's dad took control and started to steer back towards shore. They were only ten minutes out to sea, and the heavy part of the storm seemed to be miles in the other direction._

_Seemed._

_The wind began to pick up and the boat was starting to be pulled in the other direction. "Lizzie, get the life jackets!" Burt yelled to his wife. Kurt could sense something was going horribly wrong. As his mother got the life jackets, the small eight year old boy just stared at the large, dark clouds racing toward them._

_As the wind picked up, the boat started swaying side to side. Kurt was almost completely thrown off the boat when his mother took hold of his hand. "Mommy!" young Kurt yelled. Elizabeth Hummel took Kurt's shoulders and sat on her knees. She looked straight into his eyes with a pleading look. To this day, Kurt's mother still was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long, golden hair with sea blue eyes that almost made you think you were looking into the ocean._

_As the boat kept rocking, Kurt's mom hooked him into his life vest and took Kurt into the biggest hug she had ever given him. He didn't even realize she didn't yet have her life vest on. Kurt hadn't known this was going to be the last time he would ever hug his mother._

" _Kurt," she whispered into his ear just loud enough for him to hear, "Your dad has called the coast guard and they are coming to save us." Kurt could feel his mother trembling as she held him. "Just know that I love you, no matter what happens. Never give up, Kurt. Don't let anyone ever tell you who you can and cannot love. Don't ever let someone convince you to not follow your dreams. And never lose faith in those who love you. You understand, Kurt?" She pulled back and Kurt nodded tearfully, even though he didn't understand to the full extent of her words._

_All of a sudden, the boat rocked harder. The wind was making the worst howling noise Kurt ever heard in his life. Before Kurt could tell his mother he loved her back, the boat flipped onto its side and all the passengers were thrown from the boat._

" _Mom!" Kurt yelled as he hit the icy cold water. He started bobbing in and out of the water, the harsh waves pulling him under even though he was wearing a life vest._

_The next thing he remembered was waking up in a helicopter being given CPR by one of the medics. He was told his father was okay but his mother could not be found._

_She would never be found._

Kurt tried to clear his mind of the memories from that fateful day. He hadn't been in an ocean since his mother died. Right after the wreck, he had gone to a therapist that slowly got him over the hydrophobia he developed. He would only take showers and never went out in storms. For almost a year after, he would crawl into his bed and sob every time there was a large storm. By the time he was 15 he finally had the courage to go in a pool. Now it was just the ocean left that would freak him out. How could he possibly live with that smell for a whole summer? How could he live with the thing that killed his mother right outside his window?

"Everything will be fine, buddy," Burt said trying to find Kurt's eyes in the rearview mirror. "If it is too hard you and I can move back to Ohio. Carole and I have talked about it, she understands."

Carole gave Burt a look of understanding and tried to turn her body towards Kurt. "I know it was such a difficult time in your childhood. But we're here for you."

Kurt looked from his window for the first time and looked into Carole's eyes. "No," he said with a sigh."You are my family and this is my last summer with you guys, and I want us to spend it together. You never know what might change." He gave Carole a shy smile to reassure her. "And besides, Aunt Annie needs us. I can't imagine what going through my last days would be like without a family."

She smiled at him and turned back around in her seat. Kurt turned back to the window and thought silently to himself, _This summer will be the death of me._

* * *

"Yep, definitely the death of me," Kurt said aloud to himself as he looked out the window of his ocean front room.

Right outside the window of his second story room, after about 100 feet of beach, was a lifeguard stand. Kurt wondered why there would be a lifeguard in front of a private residence, but his dad told him it was because they were so close to the vacation hotels, that some tourists would wander down the beach often. At first, Kurt was happy that there was something standing in the way of the ocean coming in and swallowing him whole. Then it became a constant reminder of how dangerous the ocean was that people needed constant protection.

However, what actually spiked Kurt's interest was the lifeguard who was putting on a layer of sunscreen next to the large, wooden lifeguard stand. He was much tanner than Kurt, with toned muscles that ran down his back and flexed with each movement. He was wearing red swim trunks that hugged all the right places, and he had dark-brown curly hair that just begged for Kurt to run his fingers through it. Although he was facing towards the water, Kurt couldn't seem to care, the back of his head was just fine for now.

If Kurt hadn't known he was gay for some time now, this boy about 100 feet outside his window would definitely have made it extremely clear to him. His arms…his back…his-

"Whatcha lookin' at out there Kurt?" Burt said interrupting his thoughts as he stood in the doorway to his new room for the summer. Burt was definitely not one of those dads who knocked.

Kurt suddenly turned around as a blush crept up his cheeks. "Umm… ust looking at the ocean." _Or the hot lifeguard outside my window._

"Don't be embarrassed, Kurt. I know it must be hard for you. It's almost as hard for me coming here… You're handling it extremely well, and I was surprised it only took you 20 minutes to get out of the car."

Yes, it had taken Kurt 20 minutes to gather up the courage to get out of the car. When he opened the door, the salty sea air hit him like a speeding car. But, it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Maybe he was actually getting over his fear of the ocean. Maybe staying here over the summer wouldn't be as bad as he thought it would be. _Maybe._

He walked slowly into the house, willing the memories of the day of his mom's death not to return. He was startled when Aunt Annie quickly turned the corner.

"And you must be Kurt," the small, white-haired woman said with open arms. "I've heard so many good things about you." She said as she pulled him into a tight hug. She pulled away smiling and led the family into the quaint parlor room off of the entrance hallway.

Aunt Annie was a short woman, not too skinny, like one of those grandmas that would bake milk and cookies every day to spoil their grandchildren rotten. She had to use a cane to walk, and it looked like it was getting harder for her to get around her own house. Her wardrobe was almost entirely pink, even down to her socks. Kurt hoped he could take her shopping one day; she looked like an older version of Rachel Berry.

Her house reflected that as well. The furniture was average and old, but Aunt Annie had painted everything with bright colors. She told them it was so the house didn't feel so old.

And the house didn't feel old. It almost felt that a young teenager was living in the house. The house was two stories, modest, not the largest house in the world, but it felt cozy. You could definitely tell it was by the beach from all the pictures of the ocean and shells lining the walls.

Since the moment they sat in the parlor all they did was talk about how school. Finn attempted to tell Aunt Annie about his on-again-off-again relationship with Rachel when she asked the boys if they had any girlfriends. Kurt told the fragile woman that he had yet to be in a relationship and that he was hoping to find someone special in college. He didn't bother telling her he was gay. He didn't know how she felt about the subject, and he didn't need her hating him for the rest of the summer like McKinley did, even though she probably wouldn't remember any of their talk the next day.

It was true; Kurt Hummel never had a boyfriend. After Karofsky had transferred senior year, he thought he may be able to find someone after the bullying subsided some. Yet, he remained the only openly gay male student at his school.

"Hey Kurt," Burt said, still standing in the door of his room. "Maybe tomorrow we could go out and sit on the beach? Just you and me? You don't have to if it will make you uncomfortable."

Kurt pondered the question for a few minutes. Maybe he should go out and try to get over his fear of the ocean. And his dad only asked to sit on the beach, that didn't mean they had to go in the water. It would be great to have some alone time with his dad after such a hectic senior year. And maybe that lifeguard will be on duty…

"Sure dad," Kurt smiled.

"Really? I mean, yeah, it will be great for the both of us. Getting out there after all these years." Burt seemed surprised at his son's answer.

"You didn't think I was going to do it, did you?" Kurt said, trying not to sound accusatory.

Burt took a few steps into Kurt's room and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "It's not that I didn't think you wouldn't have the courage to go out there. I just thought it would've taken a few more days, that's all."

"Like you said, it'll be good for both of us." Kurt gave his dad a small smile and continued, "This time tomorrow then?"

"This time tomorrow," Burt repeated as he started leaving the room. He turned around right as he walked through the door. "Oh, yeah, the reason I came in here was to tell you lunch is in five. Which I guess would be right now."

"Be right there," Kurt said as he took one last look at the stunning lifeguard before joining his father.

_This time tomorrow._

* * *

_Week 1 Day 2_

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, Kurt thought to himself, as he and his father started making their trek down the beach.

It wasn't just because the salty air and the sound of the waves were making him uncomfortable, but that he and Burt had taken almost all of their things at once. Two chairs and a large tote bag full of his skincare products were in Kurt's hands as Burt was carrying two large umbrellas and another large tote bag with more skincare products and their towels.

"I don't know why you had to take all these bottles, Kurt," Burt said out of breath as they crossed the halfway mark to the lifeguard stand, where Kurt was planning to set up their stuff.

"Dad, you know that I burn easily and my skin will be so dry from all the salty air," Kurt said in an almost whiny tone. He needed a couple different SPFs of sun block, and his moisturizer was a necessity.

Then he noticed the lifeguard from yesterday sitting at his post. He blew his whistle when a few children started horse playing in the water. _Kurt wondered what other things he could blow._ _Don't think that._ Kurt thought to himself, _you're in a swimsuit for crying out loud_.

While his mind wondered, Kurt's foot got caught in the sand and had a not so graceful fall into the hot earth beneath him. Kurt sat up toward the house and saw how all the contents of the tote bag were scattered in different directions. The blue T-shirt and swim trunks Kurt was wearing became quickly covered with sand.

" _Fuck,"_ Kurt muttered under his breath.

"Are you okay?" Said a concerned voice coming from behind him. It only took a few seconds to realize it wasn't his father.

Kurt turned his head around and looked up into the most beautiful hazel eyes he had ever seen. "Here, let me help you," said the curly haired lifeguard as he put out his hand for Kurt to take.

Kurt quickly obliged and took the handsome lifeguard's hand. "Sorry, that must have looked really dumb," Kurt said as he stood up and started dusting himself off.

The lifeguard laughed. "Not at all. The sand is really hard to walk in anyway. You don't know how long it took me to perfect running in it," he chuckled and gave Kurt a broad smile as he started picking up their things and piled it into his arms.

Now that Kurt could see his face he really looked at him. He was completely and utterly gorgeous. His eyes were what caught Kurt the most. They were a sparkling honey color with specks of green that exploded across his irises.

"You really don't have to do that, I know it's a lot," Kurt said concerned.

"No, no I insist. And besides, it's my job. I'm here to save lives and if I let you carry everything you might fall again and hurt yourself. And we can't let that happen can we?" The lifeguard winked at Kurt. _Winked._

A fierce blush crept up Kurt's cheeks as he smiled shyly. The sweet lifeguard then turned to Burt, who Kurt forgot was even in the same country as him let alone standing right next to him. "You just leave everything here and I will come back and get it for you. Where were you going to set up your things?"

"Well Kurt told me he wanted to set up our things right next to the lifeguard stand—"

" _Dad,"_ Muttered hastily, embarrassment clearly visible on his face.

"That's no problem." The lifeguard said smiling and then picked up their things. He had such a warm and inviting smile that Kurt couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you so much, umm…"

"My name's Blaine."

While the lifegu- _Blaine_ was setting up their camp Kurt couldn't help at stare at the lifeguard in front of him. He was wearing red swim trunks and a whistle around his neck. He was turned away from Kurt, and his sweaty back was glistening in the bright sunlight. He quickly turned away when his father raised an eyebrow at him. Crap. It must have been obvious that he was checking Blaine out.

"Well… all this walking has made me mighty hungry," Burt said in an overdramatically staged voice. Kurt gave him a pleading look not to leave. Burt just smiled at him. "I think I am going to go grab myself something to eat. Kurt here forgot to pack us snacks and I didn't get a chance to eat before we left."

"It's not my fault—" Kurt said, crossing his arms. "You were practically pushing me out of the house."

"Well if you two want to go and grab a bite to eat, I can watch your stuff for you. I am sure you don't want to bring it back and forth." Blaine told them thoughtfully. That ever present smile still on his face.

"Well Kurt ate before we left, so I'm assuming he isn't hungry," Burt said with a mischievous look. "Hey Blaine, maybe you could keep him company while I'm gone? Make sure he doesn't cause more harm to himself?" Kurt was pretty sure all the blood he had ran to his face and he looked downward at his feet.

Blaine laughed. The laugh was so infectious Kurt couldn't help but smile. "Sure, Mr.—"

"Hummel. Burt Hummel."

"Your son will be in great care with me I can assure you." Blaine turned to Kurt and gave him _that smile_ that Kurt had to say was the cutest thing he had ever seen in his life. Kurt smiled back as their eyes met.

Kurt and Blaine sat under the lifeguard post as his dad walked away. Kurt was holding his knees up against his chest and Blaine had one foot out and the other one bent and laying on the sand. They were both facing out towards the ocean. "I always have to be within five feet of this thing unless I'm helping or rescuing people," Blaine told Kurt sighing. "You probably don't like sitting in the sand—"

"You know, you really don't have to hang out with me, my dad was just joking around. He thinks I'm going to lack friends this summer," Kurt said shyly not looking in Blaine's direction.

"Why wouldn't I want to hang out with you.. Kurt right?" Blaine said sweetly. Kurt turned his face to him and smiled.

They turned quickly when a group of children started screaming. They seemed to be just playing, but Blaine noticed Kurt's start and started to chuckle, "I see tons of tourists visit here during the summer. Always a different family every week. But the friends I do make here usually leave once their extended stay is over."

"Don't you have friends from school?" Kurt asked, although he didn't want to sound too forward.

"Well, I'm homeschooled, and my Grandmother doesn't usually let me out of the house unless my homework is done or I have work." He sighed and mumbled under his breath, "And I'm never without homework if she has anything to say about it."

"How long have you lived here?" Kurt asked.

"Only two years, since I turned 16 and my parents—" Blaine quickly shook his head and looked away. "Never mind," he said in a sad tone, which was surprising to Kurt, considering his previous cheery disposition.

Kurt realized Blaine didn't want to stay on this topic anymore and swiftly changed the subject. They talked about random tourist spots and restaurants that Blaine recommended. Blaine quickly got his cheery tone back and the conversation flowed nicely between them.

"So how long are you staying in beautiful Ocean City?" Blaine asked emphasizing the 'Ocean City' like Kurt had seen in the commercials.

"Just for the summer. Exactly 12 weeks. I'm leaving on the 18th of August. We're here taking care of my step-mother's aunt." Kurt turned and pointed to the house behind them.

"Ms. Annie?" Kurt nodded. "She's so nice. She used to bring me cookies or lemonade to my station every once in a while last summer. I heard she got sick." Blaine's face seemed to fade as he looked out to the water. Kurt looked out into the ocean as well, his hair definitely getting knotted from all the wind.

"Yeah, she got Alzheimer's a few years ago but it started getting really bad this year. So we are living with her during her last months, to make sure everything is okay." Kurt told Blaine solemnly.

"That's terrible," Blaine said, "Why do the best people always have to leave us?"

They stayed quiet for a few minutes just staring at the waves crash onto the shore.

Another three hours went by and the two boys hardly even noticed. Earlier, Blaine asked Kurt if he knew if his dad was alright. When Kurt checked his phone, he had a text from Burt saying that he and Carole were out getting things for Aunt Annie and that he was sorry for leaving him and hoped they could go to the beach together at another time. Kurt thought Blaine might tell him to leave him alone, but he just shrugged and they carried on their conversations. Talking about silly little interests and their favorite subjects in school as the different groups of tourists came and went.

At one point Kurt had told Blaine that he was going to college in New York:

"That's great!" Blaine had said.

"Are you going anywhere for college?" Kurt had asked because he previously learned that Blaine was also a senior.

Blaine's eyes seemed to lose some of their brightness. "No, college never seemed like something I could do. Not really…something I ever saw for my future."

And that had been the end of that conversation.

Blaine was definitely someone whose personality could feel so open, yet so closed. Kurt could tell when Blaine got uncomfortable, or when he felt embarrassed. He would start talking to himself or mumbling under his breath. Kurt found that truly adorable.

Blaine was also very understanding. He had asked Kurt if he wanted to go in the water after everyone on the beach had left, Kurt declined, saying the last time he was in the ocean wasn't the greatest memory. Blaine was sincere, and told Kurt it was no big deal, and that he didn't like going in the water much either. Blaine said he would rather watch the waves from the shore, that being one of the reasons he became a lifeguard, along with saving lives.

But now it was dark and Kurt had promised to have dinner with the whole family.

"I had a great time talking to you today Kurt," Blaine said while they were packing up the chairs and bags to take back to the house. He took a second to put his hand on Kurt's shoulder and smile.

"I did too," Kurt said smiling back. Once they finished packing everything up, Blaine helped Kurt carry everything back to the house. They set the chairs and bags on the porch of Aunt Annie's house and Kurt didn't really know what to do next.

"So umm…" Kurt rubbed the back of his neck with hand.

"I just want to say again that I had a great time today." Blaine interrupted. "It's always so boring just sitting there all day. Nothing ever happens. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the beach, it's the only way I would have wanted to spend my la-…m-my summer. But it's always so lonely, you know?"

Kurt chuckled and looked straight at Blaine. He looked so handsome under the moonlight. At least he had put a shirt on while they were talking, because Kurt didn't think he would have been able to take it.

"Well…" Kurt said shyly. "I could always come by tomorrow…so you're not so bored…"

"Only if you want to. I know I'm not the most interesting person."

Kurt forced a laugh. "You're not interesting. I'm—"

"Don't say anything Kurt. You are probably the most interesting kid in all of Ohio."

Kurt's face turned about twelve different shades of pink. Gladly it was dark so maybe Blaine wouldn't notice. "I guess I'll text you when I'm going to come by? Or you could text me when your shift starts?"

Blaine's face turned disappointed. "Sorry, I don't have a cell phone. My grandma…well let's just say she is old fashioned."

"Don't worry; I'll just come down at two or three?" Kurt asked.

"Three would be great. My shift starts at 2:30 but I don't want to be late and for you to have to wait."

"Okay. Um…I guess this is where we say goodbye?"

"Bye, Kurt. I am really glad I met you today. I always love meeting new friends."

"Yeah…friends." Kurt gave him a fake smile. Hopefully it wasn't _that_ obvious that Kurt really didn't want to be _just_ friends. "Bye, Blaine."

And with that, Kurt had exactly 11 weeks, 5 days of summer left to spend with the hazel-eyed lifeguard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The weeks are as follow: Kurt arrived on Saturday, May 26 (week 1 day 1). Each week starts on a Saturday. Day 2s are Sundays, day 3s are Mondays and so on.
> 
> Song used: What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong

_Week 1 Day 3_

That morning Kurt woke up and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't believe that Blaine wanted to see him again. Kurt didn't know if the lifeguard was gay or not, but it didn't really matter to him. Well, not that much. At least he found someone who might actually be his friend for the summer.

Living by the ocean wasn't as hard as Kurt thought it was going to be. As long as he didn't go in the water it seemed like it was going to be okay. His fear of water left him without the ability to swim well. He could tread water, but not for more than a few minutes.

But maybe if Blaine was there to save him…

"Kurt! Breakfast in half an hour!" His father called from downstairs.

"Coming!" Kurt called back and rolled out of bed. When he went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror, to his dismay, his face was already sunburned.

Once Kurt made it downstairs, pancakes were already on the table and Carole was getting the orange juice out of the refrigerator. "Good morning, Kurt." Carole said at the counter smiling.

"Good morning, Carole. Did you need any help?" Kurt asked as he looked around the kitchen.

"No, breakfast is ready, just go get your dad and Finn," she said thoughtfully.

"No problem. What about Aunt Annie?"

"She won't be coming to breakfast. She had another spell last night."

Because Aunt Annie was in the last stages of Alzheimer's, she would have spells where she wouldn't remember anyone, or think she was in a different time.

When Kurt walked past Aunt Annie's room looking for Finn and Burt, he saw that she was sitting at the piano trying to play a song. She used to be a beautiful pianist, but the Alzheimer's had taken away her ability to play.

Kurt felt bad. He didn't know how to make her better. And he knew he couldn't.

* * *

Kurt and his family had breakfast together and talked about what they could do that day. Burt suggested the boardwalk, but Kurt had other plans.

"You guys can go without me. I think I'm going to go to beach again today," Kurt said.

"Mhm," Burt said knowingly, "And does that lifeguard have anything to do with that?"

Kurt could feel the blood rush to his cheeks, and he knew it was visible to the rest of his family. "Maybe. He's really nice, Dad, and he said he wants us to be friends."

"Just friends?" Burt raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just friends. He said it himself." Kurt said, fighting the words out of his mouth.

"Well, have fun. We'll have to go to the boardwalk another time."

"I'm sorry, Dad," Kurt said apologetically. He didn't want to let his family down.

"It's fine, honey," Carole cut in. "Aunt Annie needs us here in case she has another spell anyway."

"Thanks guys." Kurt smiled at his family and they went back to finishing his breakfast.

* * *

As Kurt walked down the beach with nothing but his towel and bag of skin care products, nerves and excitement were threatening to overtake him. He couldn't wait to see Blaine. It was crazy, hadn't he only known him for a day?

Halfway down the beach Kurt could tell that Blaine was sitting on the lifeguard stand. He was in red swim trunks again today, they must be uniform. Not wearing a shirt must also be uniform.

Kurt felt relief when he saw that no one else was on the beach. He really just wanted to be alone with Blaine.

"Blaine?" Kurt said weakly from beside the lifeguard stand.

"Hmm?" Blaine said pulling off his sunglasses. He then turned his head, and gave Kurt a broad smile when he realized who it was. "Hey, Kurt. Nice to see you again today."

"Well I said I would come," Kurt replied. "I can see what you mean by boring. There's no one here."

Blaine jumped off the stand and walked up to Kurt. "Yeah, but I really like looking at the ocean. It keeps me company."

The boys smiled at each other before taking the towel Kurt had brought and laying it down next to the stand. They sat down and talked just like they did the day before. Kurt found it unbelievable that he and Blaine had so much to talk about. It never really got too personal, however. Kurt told him more about glee club and how they went to nationals two years and a row. Blaine had told him how much he would have loved to be in a singing group, but he was homeschooled and his grandmother didn't really approve.

The evening came quicker than Kurt had ever seen. Disappointedly, Kurt told Blaine that he would come back tomorrow if Blaine wanted him to.

"Of course, I would love you to come back tomorrow," Blaine said as they stood on Aunt Annie's porch like they had the night before.

And it went like that for a week. Kurt would get up, have breakfast with his family, go to the beach or into town for a few hours, and then go spend time with Blaine.

Their relationship remained platonic and simple. Sometimes after his shift, Blaine would ask Kurt to go get ice cream with him. It was this tiny, old fashioned ice cream parlor called _Susie's_ that sat right on the boardwalk _._ Blaine would get a chocolate sundae every time, whereas Kurt got a miniature banana split, hoping someday Blaine would want a larger one to share.

"I have the day off tomorrow," Blaine said to Kurt as he ate his sundae while they sat at the bar.

"You do?" Kurt said curiously.

"Yep, I have every Saturday off because the other lifeguards think I need a life other than sitting at the stand every day."

A few moments passed and Kurt wanted to know why Blaine was telling him this. "Well?" Kurt asked trying to get Blaine's attention.

"Oh, yeah," Blaine said as he remembered what he was going to say. "I was wondering if you want to go to the Ocean City amusement park with me tomorrow. It's small, but it's actually a pretty fun place. And it'd be a travesty if you spent this whole summer here and never went there."

"I'd love to," Kurt said a little too quickly. "I mean- yeah, seems like it would be fun. But I don't really like roller coasters that much."

"Well, I'll protect you," Blaine said thoughtfully. "I swear, you will have a great time." He smiled at him again and Kurt couldn't help but smile back.

" _I'm sure I will_ ," Kurt said softly.

* * *

_Week 2 Day 1_

Kurt woke up Saturday morning and nearly jumped out of bed. He had hardly slept all that night in anticipation. He knew it wasn't a date, but it was _Blaine_. Blaine, the hazel eyed, curly haired lifeguard that he had only known for a week. Granted, they had almost spent that entire week together, so it felt so much longer than that.

Kurt tried not to think about the fact they would only have the summer together as he got ready. He would be going off to college, and Blaine would still be just a friend.

When he finished getting ready, Kurt noticed that it was only 7am and his family wouldn't be up for breakfast for another hour. So Kurt decided he would pass the time by making breakfast for them. Blaine wasn't coming to pick him up until 10 so he had to do something to pass the time. He hopped down the stairs and went into the kitchen to find Aunt Annie sitting at the table having a cup of coffee.

"Well you're up early this morning," she said sipping her coffee. "Would you like to join me for coffee? There is enough for an extra cup."

"That would be wonderful," he replied to the white-haired woman and walked over to brewer and poured himself a cup. He sat down and looked across at the old woman, "Are you feeling better today?" he asked.

"Yes, thank you for asking," she smiled at him. "I can feel things leaving me, though. Every day I forget the littlest things." Kurt took her hand from across the table and looked at her with apologetic eyes. "Thank you for having coffee with me, Kurt. You are truly a sweet boy." She took another sip from her cup. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"Just...with a friend," he sighed in reply.

"A friend? Did you meet this friend on the boardwalk?"

"No, he's actually a lifeguard from down the beach. His name is Blaine." _Blaine_ , how Kurt loved saying his name.

"Blaine Anderson?" Kurt nodded. "Oh, he is such a charming boy. I believe he lives with his grandmother a few neighborhoods down. He hasn't always lived there though. I can't quite remember when he moved in."

"Do you remember _why_ he moved in?" Kurt asked curiously.

She thought for a few moments and then sighed, "I'm sorry Kurt I just can't remember. His grandmother and I used to be great friends. She and I used to go to _Anderson's_ ice cream parlor together all the time when we were young. She actually ended up marrying the owner's son." She said taking another sip of coffee.

" _Anderson's_? Is that _Susie's_ now?"

She sighed and nodded at him, "Her husband passed away a few years back and the poor dear had to sell the place off. I don't think they are doing very well financially anymore."

He and Blaine had gone to _Susie's_ three times already and he never mentioned that his family had owned the place, or that they weren't doing well with money. But Kurt just shrugged it off, it wasn't that big of a deal that Blaine didn't tell him every little detail of his life.

"And there's something else about the boy that I can't quite remember," she said interrupting his thoughts. She looked like she was concentrating extremely hard, and Kurt didn't want her to get frustrated if she couldn't remember.

"It's fine Ms. Annie, I'm sure it wasn't that big of a deal," he said smiling at her.

"Kurt, please call me Aunt Annie. You are part of my family now and Ms. Annie seems too formal." She said tapping his hand and going back to drinking her coffee.

A few more moments passed and then Aunt Annie broke the silence and smiled at him. "So, you like this _Blaine_?" She said grinning like she knew something he didn't.

"What?" Kurt asked almost choking on his coffee.

"You know, I can see how your eyes light up when you talk about him. I don't know if he likes boys or not but…I think you should go for it." She grinned widely at him and Kurt blushed an extremely dark shade of red. How did she know? Kurt knew she was an exceptionally smart woman, but was he that easy to figure out?

Kurt thought for a few moments before replying, "I'll think about it."

* * *

The truth was, Kurt was afraid to ask Blaine if he was gay, or tell him that he liked him. For all four years of high school he was bullied and tormented. He'd lost friends over being gay, and he wouldn't let that happen to him and Blaine.

After Kurt, his family, and Aunt Annie ate the breakfast he had made, Burt and Carole decided they would go into town and go grocery shopping for Aunt Annie, since they were terribly low on food. Finn was going down to the beach, and Kurt told him he would beat him if he even thought about cheating on Rachel with one of those tourist girls.

Blaine would be there to pick him up in an hour, just in time for his father and Carole to return to look after Aunt Annie.

It was about five minutes until ten when everything took a turn for the worse.

Kurt was sitting on the couch lacing up his boots that he would be wearing to the amusement park with Blaine when Aunt Annie walked out of her room.

"Carole, honey where are you?" She called walking into the living room.

"Aunt Annie, Carole said she would be back in an hour, she should be here in a few minutes." All of a sudden Kurt heard a loud clap of thunder and it began to rain began to pour outside. _Crap._ He wondered if Blaine would even show up. The amusement park would definitely close during weather like this.

As soon as Aunt Annie came into focus she stopped and stared at Kurt.

"Aunt Annie, what's wrong?" He asked cautiously.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house?" She said accusingly.

Kurt knew automatically that she was having one of her spells. He hadn't been there any other times she did so he didn't really know what to do.

He stood up and tried to keep her calm. "It's me, Kurt. I am Carole's step-son-"

She quickly cut him off. "Step-son?" She questioned harshly, "But Carole is only 10 years old. How can she have a step-son?"

"Please, don't freak out Ms. Annie. Carole is older now and has two teenage sons. You don't remember because you have Alzheimer's." The realization in her eyes intensified and she started to scream.

"No! Get out of my house or I will call the police!" She started running to the phone and Kurt put his arms around her. He didn't want her to hurt herself. "Let go of me! Help! Someone!" she started to scream.

Then out of nowhere there was a sudden knock at the door. "Come in!" Kurt yelled. He didn't care who it was, he just needed help.

The door opened and a voice called, "Kurt!"

Kurt knew as soon as his name was said that it was Blaine. Blaine walked into the living room drenched from the rain. "Kurt what's wrong?" He said as he saw the sight of Kurt and Aunt Annie struggling.

"She's having a spell and I don't know what to do!" He said panicking.

"Does she have a sedative?" he asked calmly. Of course, Carole told him on their first day about the sedative they kept in their room.

"It's in the master bedroom upstairs," he said as Aunt Annie continued to struggle, but now Kurt was just lightly holding on to her.

"Who is that? What's going on? Get me out of here!" She called.

Before too long Blaine had come down with a syringe and some rubbing alcohol. They took the old woman into her room and sat her on the bed and gave her the medicine. She quickly became quiet and stared at the wall.

"I think she'll be like this for a while," Blaine said. "I'm sorry we won't be able to go to the amusement park, it's closed due to the rain and-"

"It's fine," Kurt cut him off, "Come on. Let's get you changed, you're drenched."

Kurt and Blaine closed and locked Aunt Annie's door in case the sedative wore off. Kurt took Blaine up to his room and went into his closet. "Here," he said putting a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt down on the bed. "I think these will do."

"Thank you," Blaine said as he picked up the clothes and went into the bathroom.

"No really, thank you," Kurt said as stood with his head against the door. "I don't know what I would have done-" He heard his phone buzz from the table and went to go look. He had gotten a text from Carole saying they were stuck in the store due to the storm. He and Blaine would be alone for a while.

"Well I don't want you to leave until the storm is over," Kurt called to Blaine. "Why did you come anyway? It was pouring outside."

Blaine came out from the bathroom and walked into Kurt's room. The shirt was just a bit too tight because of his shoulders and the pants were a little too long because Kurt was taller. His curly hair was completely drenched. Kurt couldn't help but stare.

"Well, I couldn't just stand you up like that. Bad manners. Actually, maybe I should get your number just in case something like this happens again. My grandmother doesn't like me using the phone very often. But, for emergencies like this, I think I'll need it."

Kurt was speechless. _Stand him up?_ What did he mean. "Umm- Sure, here." He went over to his dresser and wrote down his cell number on a piece of paper. He handed it to Blaine and they smiled at each other. "I'm actually glad this happened though, thank you, something could have gone terribly wrong…"

Before Kurt could say something else there was a loud noise coming from downstairs. He knew immediately it was Aunt Annie trying to play the piano. He and Blaine walked down the hall and into her room. What they found was Aunt Annie sitting with a blank face, trying to figure out the notes on the piano.

"I feel so bad for her," Kurt whispered. "Carole tells me she used to play beautifully."

Without a word, Blaine quietly walked into her room as stood behind her. _What was he doing?_ Kurt thought to himself. Then, he simply bent down and put his arm around either side of her. He put his hand over hers and guided her fingers along the keys. "I can't remember," she whispered softly to him.

"I promise you'll remember how to play, don't lose hope," Blaine whispered softly back to her. Why was he telling her this? He didn't know if she would ever remember.

"Can you play for me?" She asked apathetically.

"Sure," he told her. He stood up straight and sat beside the woman on the bench. And then, he began to play. Kurt's jaw dropped as he stood in the doorway of the room. Carefully, he walked over and sat on her bed and watched. Kurt didn't recognize the song at first, but all he knew was that Blaine's playing may have been the most beautiful sound he ever heard.

But then he began to sing, and Kurt knew the song immediately.

_I see trees of green, red roses too  
I see them bloom for me and you  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

Kurt had never heard Blaine's voice before, he hadn't even known he could sing. He had never heard the song played like this before. He just sat on the bed in awe of the boy singing in front of him.

_I see skies of blue and clouds of white  
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world_

Aunt Annie's face stayed the same throughout. Expressionless. Blaine kept looking over at her and giving her tiny smiles.

_The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  
Are also on the faces of people going by  
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do  
They're really saying I love you_

Kurt's eyes started to tear. He couldn't help it. Blaine could just sit next to her and play, and everything seemed like it would be alright.

_I hear babies crying, I watch them grow  
They'll learn much more than I'll never know  
And I think to myself what a wonderful world  
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world._

When he completed his playing and singing, he simply put his hands down on his lap and waited. It seemed like an eternity until Aunt Annie lifted her hands to the piano, and began to play again. This time, she was playing perfectly. It was a difficult piece, seemed like something by Beethoven or Rachmaninoff.

The smile on Blaine's face made Kurt start to cry harder. How could he do that? He made her remember how to play. How could he heal her like that?

As she ended, she turned and looked at Blaine and smiled. She put her hand on his and said, "Thank you."

"Sometimes we just need that reminder," he said kindly and patted her hand back, the sun shining through the window brightly.

Blaine turned around and saw that Kurt was crying and stood up. "Umm…It stopped raining, and my grandmother will be worried about me. I think I should go. I-I'll give you your clothes tomorrow? After church, I have a two hour shift, maybe we can go out for ice cream after?"

He didn't even wait for Kurt's answer before he left. Kurt sat there and thought for a few moments. Why did he just leave like that? Was it because he was uncomfortable that he was crying? _Who truly was Blaine Anderson?_


	3. Chapter 3

_Week 2 Day 2_

"Hey Dad! I'm going to be back a little late tonight! Blaine told me he would take me out to ice cream after his shift ends!" Kurt yelled to his dad as he speedily ran out the door of Aunt Annie's house at about 3 in the afternoon.

The day before had been a mess and he really needed to talk to Blaine. After Burt and Carole got home, Aunt Annie seemed back to her normal self. It was like Blaine had fixed her somehow. She was still forgetful, and the Alzheimer's was still present, but it was like her last spell never happened.

And she could play again.

"Wait a second, Kurt, I just want to say goodbye," Burt called from the kitchen.

"Dad, what is it?" Kurt asked as he stood in between the doorframe of the front door, which was painted a light blue color, an obvious characteristic of Aunt Annie's personality.

Burt appeared from around the corner. "Kurt, I thought the family was going to do some sight-seeing by Cape May. You know, the lighthouse and stuff."

Crap. Kurt had forgotten about that. "It's just, Blaine will be waiting for me, and he doesn't have a cell phone so…I guess I could just walk to the beach and tell him I can't hang out with him today."

"Is that all you boys do, you know, hangout?" Burt asked. Kurt could tell he was uncomfortable. It's not like they did anything but hangout, to Kurt's dismay.

"Dad, it's not like that. Blaine and I are just friends. I don't even know if he's gay," Kurt said defensively.

"Okay, okay. Wait, you've been with this guy 24/7 for a week and you don't even know if…" Burt's voice dropped a few decibels, " _If he plays for your team_."

Kurt groaned. "Dad, after what happened with Finn and Sam I am done going after guys who aren't gay. If he is then I'll find out when the time comes, but for now I am just glad that I have a friend around here. I'm not going to do anything to mess things up this early" Kurt gave Burt a smile that wasn't extremely convincing.

"Well, I did leave the beach that day with intention of you guys becoming friends."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "So I was right. You left me on purpose."

"You know all Kurt." Burt smiled walked over and put his hand on Kurt's shoulder. "And you need friends. I don't want to you to spend this summer like you had spent senior year."

Kurt quickly changed the subject. "Well I'm just going to go down to the beach and tell Blaine I won't be able to hang out with him today. Be back in ten minutes." Kurt turned and started running down the few steps in front of the doorway.

Burt sighed and called to Kurt. "Wait!"

Kurt quickly turned around. "Yes, Dad?"

"You can go hang out with Blaine. I'll just tell Carole that we will have to go another day."

"You sure?" Kurt said with disbelief. He couldn't suppress the wide grin beginning to grow across his face.

"Go have fun." Burt said with a smile and motioned his hands for Kurt to leave.

"Thanks dad." Kurt said as he started running around the house and down towards the lifeguard stand. He never had to question how much his dad cared about him.

* * *

When Kurt arrived at the beach he was surprised that Blaine was not there. Instead, it was a young girl with light blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. She was sitting on top of her lifeguard post staring intently at the few families playing in the water.

Kurt walked up and tried to get the girl's attention. "Excuse me?" He said forcefully over the sound of the wind and the waves.

"Do you need help?" The girl asked him, about to get off from on top of the stand.

"No, no. I was just wondering where the usual lifeguard is. Would you know?" He asked politely.

"Blaine?" Kurt nodded. "Oh. His grandmother called him in sick today so I am taking over for his shift. It seemed pretty bad," she said concerned.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Oh, just the usual I think."

Before Kurt could ask her what the usual was, the blonde haired teenager was blowing her whistle at the group of young boys in the water. "Too far!" she stood up and yelled, motioning them to come closer to the shore.

She sat back down and turned to Kurt. "Sorry," she said quickly. "You never know if one of them could get pulled out by the current."

"It's no problem." Kurt had lost his previous train of thought. "Umm…Do you know where he lives? So I could see if he's alright?"

"Yeah, but how do you know him? I haven't seen you around here before," she said with a puzzled expression.

"Yeah, well…" What were they? Hadn't they only just met a week ago? Kurt felt like he had known Blaine forever. "We're friends," he answered simply.

"Oh, well he lives a few blocks down the street." She thought for a moment. "I think it's 165 Baker Street. Yeah, that sounds right."

Kurt gave the girl a bright smile. "Thank you..."

"Jessica."

"Thank you, Jessica." He answered politely.

Before Kurt knew it he was standing right in front of 165 Baker Street. He had taken his bike and it wasn't that far away; only about 10 minutes down the street from where he was staying.

The house was small, and it without a doubt looked like somewhere an old grandmother would live. The house was led by a stone pathway with flowers in every empty spot around the house. It looked like Blaine's grandmother liked to garden, or maybe Blaine liked to garden, but Kurt didn't think Blaine was one to plant flowers.

Kurt was about to chicken out, but worry soon overtook him. What if something was really wrong with Blaine? Maybe he should have brought some soup? He looked fine yesterday, right? He needed to go and knock on the door, just to make sure he was okay.

So with all of his courage, Kurt slowly walked up to the small screen door that matched the small, wooden house. He stood there, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell twice.

"Coming!" yelled a woman's voice from inside the house. She came and opened the wooden door, but not the screen door. She took one look at Kurt and said, "Sorry kid, we don't want any of what you're selling."

She was about to close the door when Kurt interjected, "I'm here to see Blaine."

The woman opened the door back up and studied Kurt. She was a small woman, about the same size as Aunt Annie, but she was skinny and had short brown hair. From what Kurt could hear, she had a thin southern accent, but it didn't seem that noticeable.

"And why would you want to see Blaine? He doesn't have any friends around here," she said with a bewildered tone.

No friends? So Blaine wasn't exaggerating when he said that he probably had fewer friends than Kurt. Was Kurt his only friend?

"Well…Umm…I'm his friend, and the other lifeguard, Jessica, told me he was sick," Kurt replied and looked down away from the elderly woman's piercing eyes.

"Yes…very sick…"She said as her voice trailed off, still studying Kurt. Kurt instinctively wrapped his arms around himself. He felt like she was judging him.

Which she was, Kurt found out after the woman began to speak again, "Why is your voice so high son, did you inhale too much helium when you were younger?"

Kurt took a step back and became defensive. "No, that's just how it's always been. Blaine never felt the need to ask me why my voice was so high."

"Well Blaine…Never mind. I'm going to see if he is feeling well enough to talk. Your name is?"

"Kurt."

"Okay, Kurt, just one minute." And with that the old woman quickly scurried away. She left the door open behind her. The house was only one floor, so Blaine's bedroom must have only been a few doors away. The walls were so thin that Kurt could hear the whole conversation between her and Blaine.

" _Blaine, a boy is coming to ask if you are alright. Karl, or something like that."_

" _Kurt?"_ Blaine replied. Kurt could tell he was weak.

" _Yeah, whatever. Should I tell him to go? I don't think you need to have any boys in your bedroom, he is obviously as gay as the Fourth of July. He might try to turn you or something."_ Kurt scoffed. Well that was rude, even if she didn't know he could hear her. Did she know he could hear her?

" _Grandma, don't say that about Kurt, he's my friend."_

" _I don't think I can let someone like that in my house."_

" _Grandma, please tell Kurt I'll call him from our landline when I feel better."_

" _Have you told him yet?"_ Told him what?

" _No…He's only going to be here for the summer. I don't want him to know. He doesn't need to know."_

" _I don't think you should be friends with him Blaine, you know those little fa-"_

" _Just tell him I will call him later!"_ Blaine yelled, but Kurt had enough. The last thing he heard was Blaine's weak voice saying, " _You know grandma I'm-"_ He quickly ran down the stone path and out to his bike. He didn't want to see the horrid woman ever again. What was Blaine keeping from him? It obviously wasn't the fact that he was gay.

Kurt felt awful the rest of the day. He ran into the beach house, up the stairs, and cried on his bed. He felt humiliated and betrayed, although he felt even worse for Blaine. How could someone live with such a horrible person every day?

Then, as he laid in bed, about to fall asleep, his phone rang. "Hello?" He answered groggily.

"Were you sleeping?" Asked the voice on the other line.

"About to. May I ask who this is?" Kurt answered, sitting up and turning on his bedroom light.

"Oh, sorry," the voice on the other end mumbled. "It's Blaine."

"Oh, hey Blaine." Kurt said cheerfully. Why was he so happy to hear his voice?

"Hey Kurt, I'm sorry we couldn't meet today, I wasn't feeling well…"

"No, no it's fine. I just hope you're feeling better." Kurt said with a smile, although he knew Blaine couldn't see it.

"Yeah…I think it's because I'm talking to you, though." Kurt started to blush and fell back onto his pillow.

"I can't be that much help…" Kurt said playfully, staring up at the ceiling.

"You know, you should start your own business: Kurt Hummel's Voice Therapy. You could cure anyone with just the sound of your voice." Blaine's voice sounded so dreamy. Kurt really wished he could see Blaine's expression in front of him.

"Maybe it's because I'm so high pitched. As your grandmother says, I must have inhaled too much helium when I was younger…" He said emotionless.

Kurt could hear Blaine groan through the phone. "She really said that to you?"

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I hear it all the time."

"No, she shouldn't have been rude to you, Kurt, she just isn't really that open-minded."

"Don't sweat it, Blaine. I'll be fine. I'm just worried about you," Kurt said sincerely.

"It's just a cold. I'll be fine in just a few days. Then right back to lifeguard duties for me…"

"And I'll be right there to keep you company while you save lives…"

They continued for two hours that night, until Kurt assumed that Blaine's grandmother disconnected the phone line.

Blaine made Kurt happy, and maybe, he just might not want this summer to ever end.


	4. Chapter 4

_Week 2 Day 7_

"Are you feeling any better?" Kurt asked as he lay on top of his bed, his cell phone to his ear.

"I am actually. Thank you for asking," Blaine replied. It had been almost a week and Blaine was still sick at home. They had gotten to talk on the phone together, but only for a short time every night because his grandmother would usually cut them off.

This time of not seeing Blaine every day had allowed Kurt to go sightseeing with his family and take trips to the boardwalk. He also took pleasure in listening to Aunt Annie play, which was still a miracle within itself.

"So, Kurt, since we didn't get to go to the amusement park last weekend, I was wondering if you would like to go with me Wednesday night?" Kurt smiled at the cheerfulness he heard in Blaine's voice.

"Why Wednesday, though? I mean, we could just go tomorrow if you're feeling better and have to whole day…"

"Well, tomorrow I'm going somewhere else on my day off. And it's more relaxing than an amusement park. I don't think my body is ready for that quite just yet."

Kurt frowned, "Oh, well, have fun wherever you're going tomorrow," he said disappointly.

Blaine chuckled at Kurt's reply, "Don't be silly. I'm taking you there with me." Kurt smiled and held on tight to his pillow.

"So where is this 'more relaxing' place we are going, pray tell?" Kurt asked with a flirty smile on his face. He was extremely glad that Blaine couldn't see him right now.

"It's a surprise. I'll come by tomorrow around 4:30ish, it will still be dark, and we will be able walk there just in time for-"

_Wait_. "Four. In the morning? Please tell me you are kidding," He said dumbfoundedly.

Blaine paused for a second. "Well…I mean if you don't want to come- it's just- the sunrise and- you know… It's too early- I know- I'm sorry. You need your sleep and…" Blaine kept drifting off like he always did when he thought he messed up or was nervous. Kurt found it so adorable that he couldn't stop smiling. But he had to put him out of his misery at one point or another.

"Blaine, stop, I would love to see the sunrise with you. I actually haven't been up for one yet."

"Well, then you are missing out on Ocean City's crown jewel. So see you at your front door at 4:30 then?

"See you then," Kurt replied.

* * *

_Week 3 Day 1_

Kurt could hardly sleep at all that night, yet again, in anticipation of seeing Blaine. Where would he be taking him?

At about 2:30 Kurt woke up after a very vivid dream of Blaine…yet again…doing things…with his tongue this time— After a quick trip to the bathroom to take care of the remnants of that dream, he lay back down and tried to go back to sleep, but he just couldn't.

So instead of laying there with his thoughts, Kurt got up and got dressed because he didn't think he would be going back to bed before Blaine arrived at this rate. He went into his closet and put on the thin shirt and shorts he had picked out right after Blaine hung up that night. When he finished it was about 3:30, so he turned off his alarm and made himself a cup of coffee down in the kitchen.

Once that was done it was about 4:00, so he went back upstairs and lay on his bed. He would be watching the sunrise with _Blaine_. Blaine the lifeguard. Blaine the stunning, tan, hazel-eyed, curly haired, amazing...

Kurt was startled awake by a soft knocking sound that gradually increased volume. _Crap._ Why hadn't his alarm gone off? It was supposed to go off at 3:30 so he could get ready. Wait, he already been up this morning. He was lying on top of his sheets dressed and hair was already done-well, now a mess. He looked over at his clock and saw that it was 4:45. _He was late!_ The knocking continued to grow louder as Kurt jumped out of his bed.

"Kurt, _Kurt_ ," A voice whispered forcefully. "It's Blaine, let me in, please. It's actually really cold out here." He said from outside the double doors of Kurt's room that led to a small, balcony with stairs leading up to it from the outside.

"Coming," He said in a forced whisper as ran to put his slippers on and fix his hair to the best of his ability in the mirror. Half awake, he walked over and unlocked the doors. Thank god he had beat Finn in that coin toss for the room with a balcony.

"Umm… hi," Blaine said from outside the door.

"Hi," Kurt said awkwardly back. "I'm so sorry, are we going to miss it?" He said quickly.

"Don't worry, Kurt, we still have plenty of time. When I got here and you didn't come out, I thought something might have gone wrong. Then I remembered from the other day your room had a balcony with stairs, so I came to check if you were okay."

_Blaine was worried about him._ "Blaine, please come inside, and again, I'm so sorry," Kurt walked Blaine into his room and shut the door. "I don't know what happened. One moment I was awake getting ready to go, and then I was asleep."

"It's fine, really. We have time to get there. I'm just glad you are alright."

"I'll be right back," Kurt said after a moment of silence and ran off to the bathroom to fix his hair.

"Are these your friends?" Blaine called from outside the bathroom.

"The pictures on the dresser?" Kurt asked while styling his hair.

"Yeah, there's a short brown haired girl in this one, who definitely looks like she is wearing something from Kids R Us. Oh, and this must have been your glee club," Blaine said. "You must miss them. They look like they were great."

After a few more moments Kurt walked out of the bathroom and over to Blaine. He had a sad smile on his face. And Kurt could tell that he had never had that before. Never really had friends.

He also noticed that Blaine was paler and had dark rings around his eyes. Well, they weren't _that_ dark. Kurt assumed only someone who stared at his eyes from time to time would notice…

"They were great," Kurt replied. "I do miss them. But I'm really glad that I came here. I'm really glad that I got a chance to meet you."

"Me too, Kurt. Me too. I'm glad we're friends."

There was that word again. _Friends._

* * *

"How much farther is it?" Kurt asked as they had been walking along the beach, sunrise was in only ten more minutes.

"Not too much farther. See that pier up there?" Kurt nodded when Blaine pointed to a long pier that jutted out into the water. There were no houses on this part of the beach. Just grass and a few old deteriorating buildings.

Blaine continued, "One day, I was walking along the beach, and found this pier, well actually it's more of an old docking station. No one ever comes down here because no tourist goes farther than where the beach houses end." He paused and looked down at his feet. "It's the place I go when I need time to think, or when things get bad, you know?"

Kurt nodded again as they walked, "Like the place where you feel like you can just clear your head and forget about the world?"

"That kind of place," Blaine said quietly as he kicked a large shell across the beach.

After about two more minutes of walking, the boys arrived at the small pier, which was no more than planks of wood nailed together a few feet over the ocean. Blaine immediately hopped right on without any trouble, and put his hand out to help Kurt up. Kurt realized that it was much harder to get on the dock than Blaine had made it look. He stumbled as got on, almost falling flat on his face. But as usual, Blaine was right there to catch him.

"Whoa there," Blaine chuckled as Kurt straightened back up. "Don't worry, it gets easier with time. These planks aren't the sturdiest." Kurt smiled and turned deep red from embarrassment. "Come on," Blaine said, pulling at Kurt's arm.

When they got to the end of the pier, both boys took off their shoes and sat down on the edge. Only the tips of their toes could touch the water as they looked out together over the horizon. The dock was only about four feet across, so Kurt and Blaine were sitting almost shoulder to shoulder.

"Only a few more minutes," Blaine said while he leaned back on his hands. The sky was already turning deeps shades of pink and orange.

"How many times do you think you've sat here and watched this?" Kurt asked.

"Maybe 100 or more, I never get tired of it, though."

And how could he? As soon as the sun was about to break through the ocean's horizon Kurt gasped. The sky was filled with so many colors and patterns. He had never seen anything like it before. Kurt looked over with an astonishment and Blaine gave him a knowing smile.

And then, the sun poked through the horizon, and all the colors in the sky seemed to explode with brightness. All the pinks were one hundred times pinker and all the oranges were one hundred times more orange as the sun slowly continued to rise.

"Wow," Kurt breathed. He never really saw anything like this in Ohio. He couldn't believe Blaine got to see it whenever he wanted to.

Once all of the sun was fully out of the horizon, Kurt looked over to Blaine. But Blaine was already staring at him with a small smile. "What is it?" Kurt asked on instinct and Blaine turned his head instantaneously. He internally shunned himself for ruining the moment.

"That was really beautiful, Blaine. Thank you for bringing me here."

"Uh—yeah, no problem. We can come here whenever you want."

"I would like that." Kurt said bashfully.

"Good. I mean—would you like to go back and go for a swim or something?" He asked.

"No, can we just stay here, you know, on land?" The truth was Kurt was still afraid of going in the water. Yes, living at the ocean hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. He only had a few nightmares of drowning since he arrived, but he always had Blaine to make him forget about them.

"Kurt, is something wrong?" Blaine asked sincerely while they were still sitting on the edge of the dock.

Kurt looked away from Blaine and back at the ocean. He sighed and then began to speak. "It's just, my mom drowned in the ocean when I was younger, and I almost did too. It just...it really affected me. I haven't went in the ocean since, and I don't know if I will." What would Blaine think of him now? Some freak that is too afraid to go in the water for stupid reasons, probably.

But instead, Blaine rested his hand on top of Kurt's and tried to look into his eyes. "Kurt, I'm so sorry, that must have been an awful experience. Would you—maybe telling someone about it will make it easier?"

"So you- you don't think I'm weird?"

"Why would I think that? Everyone has events in their life that makes them afraid to do certain things."

They both smiled at each other and Kurt told Blaine everything. The story about his mom giving him the lifejacket without enough time to put hers on. Her last words to him. How he thought he was going to die.

Blaine listened intently through the whole story, with his hand still laying on top of Kurt's and always giving sympathetic gestures if Kurt started to lose his composure.

"Kurt, I'm just—just so very sorry." He said once the story was finished.

"I know," Kurt said, "But I'll be okay." Kurt decided to go for it, it was now or never. So he grasped Blaine's hand in his, and began, "Blaine are you—". But as soon as he did Blaine quickly pulled his hand away, as if it was on reflex.

"I think we should go," Blaine said. "Your family might wake up and notice you aren't there. And we all know hell will break loose if my grandma wakes up and I'm not there."

Kurt's face fell and he stood up, almost falling into the water because of a board that was loose on the dock, but he caught himself just in time.

"You want to stop for coffee on the way back?" Blaine asked as he was helping Kurt down.

"You know I can't say no to coffee," Kurt replied.

* * *

_Week 3 Day 3_

The day after Blaine took Kurt to see the sunrise, the boys went to the movies after Blaine's lifeguard shift to see some comedy he picked out. Kurt wanted to move his hand over and hold Blaine's so badly, but he couldn't. Not after the way he reacted the last time he tried.

It was Monday now and Blaine was supposed to be meeting Kurt at _Susie's_ at seven. But it was already 7:30 and he was nowhere in sight. So, Kurt decided to order his ice cream at the bar.

"One small banana split," he asked Susie, the owner of the shop, from behind the bar.

"He still hasn't shown up?" She asked, beginning to scoop the ice cream.

"No, and something could be wrong. I wish he had a cell phone so I could text him to see if he's okay," Kurt replied.

"Well, you know it's Blaine's birthday on Wednesday," she said as she peeled the bananas.

"What? He never told me." _Why didn't Blaine tell him?_

"Maybe he didn't want you worrying about getting him a present or anything. He never likes people spending money on him, or doing anything for him for that matter," she said passing the ice cream to Kurt, "I mean, I even offered him the place Wednesday night to have some friends for a party, since he's my most frequent, and sometimes, only customer."

_But Blaine doesn't have any friends. Kurt was his only friend._

"Well we're going to the amusement park Wednesday." _Maybe that was his birthday celebration._

"Oh, well that should be fun," she said. "Go easy on him though, I've heard he hasn't been well lately."

"Yeah, he—" He was about to tell her about what Blaine told him he had when his phone began to buzz in his pocket. "Sorry," he said as he pulled out his phone and saw it was Blaine. Susie quickly nodded and walked into the back room of the shop.

"Hello?" Kurt said as he answered the phone.

"Hey Kurt, it's Blaine," he said in a small tone.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay? Do you need me I-"

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry for not being there. The head instructor told me that I was getting dozens of calls from my grandmother and that she needed me to come home immediately. I thought something awful had happened, so I went straight home. Turns out my grandma just wanted me to fix the air conditioner again. But I'll be right over in like 10 minutes."

"You don't still have to come Blaine, I understand completely. My dad used to do that to me all the time. We'll just have to schedule a rain check," he said genuinely.

"So you're not mad?"

"Of course not. And I'm really excited for Wednesday. I'm sure we'll have a blast."

"Are we going to do anything tomorrow?" Blaine asked.

"I'm sorry Blaine, but my family and I are going shopping up at the big shopping center in Trenton." Which was going to be true… once he told the rest of his family.

"Well that just gives me something to look forward to then." Kurt blushed at his words even though he couldn't see Blaine's face.

Kurt hung up the phone and restarted eating his ice cream, thinking about what he was going to do the next day.

_He had some shopping to do._

* * *

_Week 3 Day 5_

Kurt was extremely satisfied with the gift he bought Blaine the day before. He knew he would probably enjoy the gift just as much, if not more than, Blaine would.

He paced the front hallway of Aunt Annie's house waiting for Blaine to arrive to pick him up. He had the present wrapped with a bow in the bag he was taking with him, hopefully it didn't look too suspicious.

Just as it turned seven o'clock the doorbell rang. Kurt quickly ran to the door, then paused for a few moments so he didn't look too eager. He opened the door to be greeted by Blaine with a broad smile. It looked like he was wearing something similar to last week, but not drenched like he was before. Now that Kurt could take a look at how amazing he looked in clothing that wasn't beach attire, he wished he could just take him up to his room right then and there and—

"You want to get going?" Blaine asked standing on the porch.

"Yeah," Kurt said snapping back into focus. "Let's go ride some rides!" He said over enthusiastically, hoping to draw away from how obviously he was checking Blaine out.

* * *

Once they arrived they went around and rode a few of classic beachside amusement park rides such as the Caterpillar and the Tilt-A-Whirl. Blaine convinced Kurt to go on one of the big roller coasters with him, and he enjoyed it just like Blaine said he would.

Overall, Blaine seemed to be having a great time and Kurt was glad. It was his birthday after all…

"Your ring toss skills are impressive," Kurt said as they ate their Churros and walked to the Ferris Wheel. Blaine had won himself a large teddy bear by making every single shot.

"Not as impressive as your stomach. How do you not feel sick after going on all those spinning rides?"

"Well, I didn't eat a corndog right before going on them." Kurt said sarcastically.

"Hey, that corndog was good! Totally worth it."

"Was it better the second time around?" Kurt joked.

"Not exactly…" Blaine said holding his stomach as they entered the line for the Ferris Wheel. It seemed like a good ride to end the night with, and because of its size it was about fifteen minutes long. It was already ten o'clock, so they would have to leave soon because Blaine's grandmother wanted him home by eleven.

As the Ferris wheel went around they talked for a few minutes while the ride stopped and started to let people on and off. They were sitting side by side, close enough that their shoulders brushed together. Once they got closer to the top Kurt gasped, "Wow, it's so beautiful up here. You can see the whole city."

"I know, sometimes, I come here at night just to ride the Ferris wheel," Blaine said.

"Wait, I have something for you," Kurt said as he got his bag out from under his feet.

"What?"

Kurt pulled out his small wrapped gift and handed it to Blaine. "Happy Birthday," he said with a large smile.

"You didn't have to get me anything. Really. It's just a birthday—"

"Blaine Anderson you open my present right now," Kurt said with a firm tone. "It's your eighteenth birthday, don't act like it's not a big deal."

The Ferris wheel came to a stop right at the top, and Blaine slowly opened the gift, like he was trying to preserve the paper or something. Kurt's anticipation was killing him.

Blaine's face went into a large grin that was excited and bewildered at the same time when he finally realized what it was, "Kurt- I- I don't know what to say," he said astonishedly.

"It's just a prepaid cell phone, Blaine, and it's kind of my selfish way of talking to you more anyway."

"But they are so expensive. I mean my grandmother wouldn't even buy me one of these because they were so much. I- I can't. This—"

"You deserve something special for your birthday. Now we can talk and text whenever we want. And if it costs more money for me to talk to you more, then so be it."

And then out of nowhere, Blaine through his arms around Kurt and pulled him into a tight hug, which was kind of difficult in the position they were sitting, but Kurt felt himself completely melt into Blaine's strong arms. "Thank you. I really don't know what I would do without you as my friend." Blaine murmured.

"Me neither," Kurt replied softly.

* * *

Once he arrived home, Kurt jumped into bed and saw that he had a text from Blaine.

Blaine (11:25)

_Hey Kurt!_

Kurt (11:40)

_Hey Blaine. Enjoying your new texting abilities?_

Blaine (11:42)

_Definitely :) It feels good not having to worry about being cut off for talking too long._

Kurt (11:43)

_Well just don't be texting the whole world okay? It's still a few cents per text._

(Actually it was more like thirty cents a text, but Kurt didn't want to tell him that)

Blaine (11:46)

_Thank you so much Kurt. This birthday was really special. I'm so glad I shared it with you._

Kurt (11:48)

_Still had to give me the teddy bear though…_

Blaine (11:50)

_I'm sorry… I couldn't go without giving you something in return. This birthday present was just so much._

Kurt (11:54)

_Please stop saying that. You deserved it. Now get some rest!_

(11:55)

_Happy last five minutes of your birthday Blaine :) Goodnight._

Blaine (11:57)

_Goodnight Kurt._

A few minutes after Kurt put his phone down on the side table it began to buzz and ring with an incoming call. He picked it up and saw Blaine's new number blinking across the screen.

"Is everything okay?" Kurt asked. Why would Blaine be calling him?

"It's just—it's not the same without hearing your voice," Blaine replied quietly. _Oh._ "So… goodnight, Kurt."

"Goodnight, Blaine. Sweet dreams."


	5. Chapter 5

_Week 3 Day 7_

It was Friday evening and Kurt and Blaine were sitting on a blanket under the lifeguard stand like they had done so many times before. It had been a busy day so Blaine had to stay extra attentive, although no one no one needed saving.

They spent the entire day together. In fact, they had started by watching the sunrise, then going back home to make sure their families didn't realize they were gone. After breakfast they went out to have coffee together and then Blaine showed Kurt some stores around the boardwalk until it was time for him to begin his lifeguard duties.

Kurt was finding it exceptionally hard to keep himself from staring at Blaine. The way his skin glowed in the sunlight, and how badly he wanted to run his fingers over it. Or how much he wanted to kiss those light pink lips moving right in front of him…

"…Kurt. Hello?" Blaine said snapping Kurt out of his gaze.

"What? Oh, sorry. You were saying?" He said, trying to get back into the conversation that he had missed half of.

"I was saying we should go down to the dock tonight. It's a really clear night, great for stargazing. Of course, only if you want to," Blaine asked smiling. They had never gone down at night before, and Kurt thought about how beautiful the stars would look bouncing off the calm water.

"That sounds great," Kurt answered. "But won't your grandma be wanting you home soon?"

Blaine's eyes drifted away from Kurt's, "Yeah…about that…I kind of told her I was going to the lock in at my church tonight…"

Kurt made a fake gasp, "Blaine Anderson, are you telling me you lied? This cannot be so."

Blaine gave him a playful push on the shoulder, "Stop it. I had full intention of going at the time, so it wasn't a lie. It's just something way better came up."

"Mhm. Well my curfew is at one o'clock. Did your plan include a place to stay? Because she is definitely going to know you lied if you come home in the middle of the night."

"Again, not a lie. She will be asleep by the time I get home and I always leave my window unlocked to my room. So I'll just sneak in and wake up before she does."

All of this just to watch the stars with Kurt? Why was he so special to him? He was nothing special.

"I guess we should get going," Kurt said grinning.

They arrived at the old pier at about 9:30, dropped their bags by a tree at the end of the beach, and sat themselves down at the end on the dock like they had done every time before. Except this time the water was coming up to their calves, which was odd because it was almost low tide.

The boys lay back and looked at the night sky, clear with glowing stars. Kurt was wearing a tight swim shirt and shorts whereas Blaine was wearing a gray T-shirt and his red swim trunks. There was a cool breeze blowing in their direction, and Kurt thought the night couldn't be any more perfect.

"You see that one?" Blaine said pointing to another constellation. Kurt nodded and Blaine continued, "That's Libra, oh, and over there," he pointed to a different constellation, "that's Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper. And you know what's at the handle?" he asked.

"What?" Kurt replied playfully.

"The north star. It's actually my favorite star. Not just because it is the most famous or anything. Sure, it's not the brightest star it the sky, but I know as long as I know it's there, I will never lose my way." Blaine said honestly.

"How do you know so much about astronomy?" Kurt asked.

"It's my favorite class. Spending so much time by myself allowed me to study the stars. I used to want to be an astronomer someday."

"What happened?"

"Life happened I guess," Blaine said simply.

They were quiet for a few minutes, their hands resting on their chests, just staring at the night sky before them.

Kurt noticed something shoot across the night sky right by the horizon. He sat up and pointed, "Look Blaine, a shooting star!" He felt like a giddy five-year-old, but he had never seen one before. Blaine sat up and looked at the star pass before closing his eyes. "What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"Making a wish," he said softly with his eyes still closed. Kurt decided to follow along and made a wish as well. He really didn't know what to wish for. Should he wish that he could spend the rest of the summer in Blaine's arms? That they could be together longer than just the summer? Or that they could be together at all? He ended up wishing for the thing he simply wanted the most: For Blaine to kiss him.

Kurt opened his eyes and stared at the sky. How did Blaine always seem to find the most beautiful things in life?

"It's so beautiful," Kurt said looking straight up into the sky, his feet kicking around in the water.

"You are," Blaine said effortlessly, taking Kurt by surprise. When he looked over at Blaine, he saw that he was already staring at him.

"What did you say?" Kurt asked surprised, hope present in his words.

Once Blaine realized what he said, he automatically tensed and tried to fix his mistake, "I-I mean, it's- it's beautiful. The sky, I mean. The sky is beautiful. Why would you be beautiful? I mean- we're just friends and-"

"Oh." Kurt muttered disappointed and feeling rejected. Why didn't he think he was beautiful?

"I didn't mean it. Like, we're friends, why would we be anything more than that?" Blaine said quickly.

"Yeah…why would we?" Kurt said quietly as his eyes started watering. He turned his head so Blaine couldn't see he was crying. Why couldn't they be more than friends?

Kurt had stopped being so naïve. Kurt realized the night of Blaine's birthday how much Blaine really liked him. He saw the way Blaine's eyes would flicker to his lips whenever they talked at the beach. How Blaine would react if they ever accidently touched. He wanted to let Blaine have time, but he just couldn't play this game much longer without getting his heart broken.

"Kurt, don't cry. I'm sorry, I just-"

"Why don't you want to be with me?" he said, regretting it as soon as he did.

"What—"

"I can see the way you look at me, Blaine. I can see you have some sort of feelings for me. You can't go to sleep at night without hearing my voice. You took me here, your special place that you've never taken anyone before."

"Kurt-" Blaine trying to find the other boy's eyes, but Kurt wouldn't look at them.

"Am I just supposed to sit here and wait for you to make up your mind?" Kurt said, finally looking into his eyes. "We only have a few more weeks together. I can't wait forever." Kurt knew he was lying to Blaine. He knew he would wait forever for him.

"Because I-I'm…" He trailed off for a moment and then came back, "Do you know why I live with my grandmother?"

Kurt realized then that he had never found out why Blaine lived with his grandmother. He knew it had something to do with his parents, but that was it. "No…you never told me."

"That's because I've never told anyone." Blaine voice became quieter. "My parents…they kicked me out at 16, and made me live with my grandmother here." His voice was distant, and Kurt could feel that it took all the energy in him to get out each word.

"Why?" But Kurt knew why.

"Because I'm gay," Blaine looked up at the sky. "It's kind of funny, the last time I said that to anyone I got the crap beaten out of me."

"At school?"

"No, it was my dad. My own father beat me until I almost had to be hospitalized." He was close to tears and Kurt could feel it.

"Blaine…I'm so sorry-"

"I came out to them when I was about to turn 16. My dad told me that if I ever told anyone else, or acted on my 'sinful urges' that he would do much worse than just beat me. How God would damn the whole family. I even tried to change. I even dated a girl for a few weeks. But I knew. I knew I couldn't change who I am."

Kurt had never been so thankful to have his father be so understanding of who he was. How could parents want to beat their own children?

"I still never told anyone at school, but I was close to. I liked this guy in my History class, and I had written in my journal, along with other things, that I was going to ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance." _Oh no._

"My father found it," he continued, "I still don't know what he was doing in my room. I think he was looking for it, though. That day after school," tears started to stream down both Blaine's face, "…he found me. I had never been so scared in all of my life. He just kept hitting me, over and over again." Blaine wasn't even looking at Kurt anymore. Frustrated tears fell from his eyes.

"Blaine, you don't-" He was about to tell him that he didn't need to know anymore, but Blaine kept going.

"And my mother just walked away. She could hear me while she was up in her room. But she didn't care. He finally sent me to live with my grandmother here, telling her to only send me back if I had 'changed'. She wouldn't let me talk to boys, so she homeschooled me and hardly ever let me out of the house without her 'supervision'. It was like I was sent to one of those places where parents send their gay children, but I think it was worse. I mean, she was the one who raised my father. She made him that way…" He said drifting off looking into the ocean.

After a few moments he continued, "After a while, I just decided to go along with it. I dated a few girls from the church that my grandmother forced me to go to. She even thinks I'm 'cured' now. But when she called my parents, they wouldn't take me back. And I think they know that I'll never change. These past two years…I've felt so alone." Blaine finally broke out a sob.

Kurt finally couldn't take it any longer and threw his arms around Blaine and held him. "You're not alone anymore. I'm here for you." Kurt whispered into his ear.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you, Kurt," he said into his shoulder. "I don't know what's wrong with me. If my grandmother found out, she would call my father…"

"Shh…don't worry. I can wait, I can wait until you mean it-"

Blaine sat up and looked into Kurt's swollen eyes. He slowly brought his hand to Kurt's cheek, "But I lied to you, Kurt…I think you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…Do you want to know what I wished for?"

Kurt slowly nodded into Blaine's hand, "Yes," he breathed.

"I wished…that at least just once…I could kiss you," Blaine said honestly as his eyes flickered to his lips.

Kurt's heart was beating out of his chest. He and Blaine had wished for the exact same thing. Doesn't telling someone your wish mean it won't come true? Well, Kurt still had his wish left.

"Why don't you then?" He said breathlessly.

And without any hesitation, Blaine leaned in and met Kurt's lips with his. It was soft and gentle as Blaine held Kurt's face in his hands. Kurt closed his eyes and kissed back, hoping the moment would never end. Maybe it wasn't exactly how he imagined their first kiss, but he wouldn't have had it any other way.

After a few moments they both pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes, "You don't know how long I've wanted to do that," Blaine said, almost out of breath.

"You can do it again, you know," Kurt said back, and within moments they were kissing again, but this time much more passionately. They were both kneeling on the dock, facing each other, as Kurt's fingers began to thread into Blaine's hair.

He experimentally ran his tongue against Blaine's lips. Blaine willingly opened his mouth, letting Kurt's tongue slip inside. They were both inexperienced, but Kurt didn't think anything could get better than kissing Blaine.

After a few minutes, they lay down on the dock, facing each other, and began to kiss again. They didn't even care how uncomfortable it was. Kurt was cupping Blaine's face in his hands this time while Blaine rested his hands on Kurt's waist. They lay there kissing for a while until finally they stopped just to look at each other.

"Hi," Blaine said softly.

"Hi…" Kurt said back. He let out a small yawn and Blaine turned onto his back, allowing Kurt to lay half on top of him, his head on Blaine's chest. And just like that, both boys fell asleep under the light of the moon and the stars.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine were both startled awake by a loud boom of thunder. And just as they opened their eyes, the rain started pouring on top of them. Both boys shot up immediately, realizing they couldn't see more than two feet in front of them because of the amount rain that was falling.

The only source of light came when lightning broke through the sky. Kurt could see how then water was hitting the front of dock and splashing on top of them. The wind was incredible, stirring the water in every way possible.

"Kurt! Come on!" Blaine yelled tugging on Kurt's arm, but he couldn't move. Every time there was a bolt of lightning, Kurt felt as if he was back on the boat the night his mother died. He tried to snap out of it, but images just started getting worse and worse.

He started rocking back and forth, unable to control the shock that was running through his body. His heart was beating faster and faster…unable to get his thoughts straight.

He was closing his eyes but he could hear the faint sound of Blaine's voice telling him he needed to get up, that he wasn't on the boat.

_Blaine._ He needed to go, he needed to move so they could get back home. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Blaine staring right into them. "Kurt, you're going to be okay," he said convincingly.

Kurt nodded and took his hand. Once they stood up, Kurt tumbled back onto one of the wooden boards at the end of the dock, and it snapped, causing Kurt to fall backwards into the water.

He went under immediately, the force of the storm on the water keeping him from coming up. As he tried to swim up, a strong current of water slammed him into one of the end poles keeping up the pier.

Kurt knew he was going to die. He knew he was going to be pulled all the way out to sea and be lost like his mother. The pain in his head and chest built quickly as he slowly lost consciousness. Kurt didn't even feel it when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his body, and pulled him to the surface.

* * *

"Kurt…Kurt…"

Kurt could hear a faint calling in his ear. He couldn't really place whose voice it was, but it sounded like an angel. Was there a heaven? Was he actually going to heaven?

"Kurt…Kurt come back to me…Please come back…" The voice kept repeating. _Come back where? Where should I come back to?_

"Come back to me…Please Kurt…Please."

Kurt felt a pair of lips brush against his. Then they were pressing harder. _What was happening?_

Air began being forced into his lungs.

"Breathe, Kurt! Breathe!" The voice was growing louder, and he could feel something pressing onto his chest. It felt like a hammer was trying to ram nails into his lungs.

_Wait, I'm supposed to breathe._

Kurt started coughing harshly and breathing heavily as all the water left his lungs. He opened his eyes and saw that the rain was still pouring hard, but he was about 20 feet up the beach. He felt a hand pull his head so he could half sit up and get all the ocean water out of his body.

"Thank god," he heard a familiar voice say.

" _Blaine,"_ Kurt said roughly. His throat and chest were hurting terribly.

"Shh…I'm here, you're okay, just lie back down," Blaine said just loud enough to be heard over the pouring rain.

Kurt obeyed and rested back on the sand. He could feel his heart beating quickly as the memories of what just happened flooded his mind.

He was going to die.

But Blaine saved him.

Kurt couldn't help the loud sob that left his chest. He couldn't help but cry. He could've been dead.

" _I'm sorry_ ," Kurt muttered as loudly as he could.

"Why should you be sorry?" Blaine asked. "I should be sorry. I should've seen the signs that the storm was coming. The higher sea level, the wind blowing in the wrong direction. The storm had been in the Atlantic for days, it was bound to hit land soon. It's my fault…"

" _Can you hold me?"_ Kurt asked softly. He just wanted Blaine's arms around him. He needed to know that everything was going to be okay.

"Of course, Kurt, I'm just going to go call EMS or the coast guard, whichever can get here faster. Hopefully our cell phones still work."

" _I put them in waterproof bags,"_ Kurt said tiredly, with his eyes half lidded.

"I love how you're so smart," Blaine said as he pushed the wet hair out of Kurt's eyes.

After a few minutes, Blaine came back and lay down in the sand next to Kurt. He told him that help was on the way. He put his arms around him, hardly putting any pressure on his body, but just enough for Kurt to know he was there.

"Is this okay?" he asked quietly, rain still pouring on their bodies.

"Perfect," Kurt croaked.

"I don't think I would have been able to survive if you didn't make it. I don't think I would ever be able to forgive myself if I couldn't save you."

"But you did, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you." Kurt said guiltily.

Blaine gave him a small kiss on the cheek and said, "You don't have to, Kurt, not ever, you paid me back already by waking up."


	6. Chapter 6

_Week 4 Day 2_

Kurt had fallen asleep in his room the day after nearly drowned, wishing that he could see Blaine. He was grounded for a week for not being home after curfew and almost scaring his parents to death.

He came home late that evening after a long day in the hospital. They kept him for the day to make sure he didn't have any side effects from the lack of oxygen to his brain. It left him a long time to ponder what had happened the night before.

His greatest memory was laying on the sand in Blaine's arms. They stayed there for almost an hour before help finally came to get them out of the pouring rain. Blaine kept telling him not to move in case he had broken a rib during the CPR, so Kurt remained still while Blaine whispered comforting words into his ear. _You're going to be okay Kurt. I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I promise._

He didn't remember much after arriving at the hospital. He knew Blaine had ridden the ambulance over with him, and Kurt also remembered the look on Blaine's face when they told him that Kurt was fine and he didn't have any broken bones.

As soon as they reached the hospital he was rushed into the ER and separated from Blaine. When he finally woke up he was greeted by Carole and Burt. Blaine was nowhere to be found.

He figured that he had to go home to make sure his grandmother never found out about him being with Kurt. He wanted so badly just for him to be there holding his hand, but he never came to the hospital all day to see him.

He learned that Burt and Carole had been worried sick about him after he didn't arrive home at curfew. He felt awful. He had been irresponsible with Blaine, just falling asleep like that. He learned that the storm started at about three in the morning and he hadn't arrived at the hospital until 4:30am.

When he first woke up that morning in the hospital, he hardly remembered anything that happened the night before. But as soon as he did, he began to cry. He really didn't know why he was crying so spontaniously, but he just couldn't stop. It must have been the overwhelming fact that he had been so close to dying. Those few moments when he thought he knew he was going to die were the worst of his life. He hoped he never felt like that ever again.

He still didn't know what he would do to pay Blaine back for saving his life, and being there for him when he needed him most. Although Blaine said he already paid him back, Kurt still felt like he owed him something.

He never told anyone exactly what he and Blaine were doing when they fell asleep. No one really asked him. All they knew was he had fallen into the water, and Blaine had pulled him out just in time to give him CPR.

They also told him it was a miracle that the CPR even worked, let alone left him with no broken ribs. They said that Blaine had pulled him out at just the perfect time, because his heart hadn't stopped completely yet. He wouldn't even let himself think about what would have happened if Blaine had been too late, and his heart had stopped…

The hospital finally released him that evening, just in time for him to get home and sleep in his own bed. As soon as his bed hit the pillow, he was out. And that was when the dream began:

_It was the same thing as what had happened the night before. He fell into the water and couldn't get air. He kept pushing and pushing but something was keeping him from coming to the surface. He was waiting for Blaine to save him, but he never came. He didn't know why he wasn't coming this time. The harder he struggled for air, the farther down he sank._

_He started hearing screaming. But it was a woman screaming. When he finally sunk all the way down to the bottom of the ocean, he saw a body floating a few feet away from him. He was just about to see who it was when he felt something pull him back to the surface…_

Kurt woke up shaking and sweating. He looked around and saw that it was light outside but the clock said it was only 6:30. No one would be up yet but he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

He changed out of his sweaty pajamas and tip-toed downstairs. To his surprise, Aunt Annie was sitting on the couch knitting.

"What are you doing up so early?" Kurt asked surprised as he stood in the entryway of the living room.

"Maybe I should ask you the same thing," she said not looking up from her knitting.

"I had a nightmare, and I couldn't get back to sleep," Kurt finally said.

"Was it anything you want to talk about?" Aunt Annie asked before Kurt shook his head. She sighed and looked up at the boy. "I couldn't sleep either, really, I haven't been able to sleep for weeks now..." The old woman patted to the cushion next to her on the couch, "Come sit."

Kurt slowly wanted over and sat next to her. "What are you knitting?" He pointed to the fabric in her hands.

"Just a sweater. Knitting is actually one of the only things I can still do." She looked around for a moment and handed Kurt a basket of yarn. "Here, make yourself useful and separate the yarn for me."

Kurt looked down at the basket and saw that there were dozens of different colors knotted together. "Okay…" He said hesitantly before taking the yarn.

"You're a doll," she said smiling and then went back to her knitting. "Are you feeling better today?"

"Yeah, just a little tired," he said, unraveling the yarn.

"You gave us a quite a scare, Kurt. Carole and your father were terrified when they got that call from the hospital."

"I know, I'm sorry," Kurt said apologetically.

"What were you doing out there at three in the morning?"

Should he tell her about Blaine and him? "Umm…Blaine and I were looking out at the stars. He knows a lot about them actually. He says he says he used to want to be an astronomer. I know he still does though, I don't know why he doesn't want to go to college…" Kurt quickly stopped after he realized he was rambling. "Then we accidently fell asleep."

She paused before starting again, "And how the hell am I supposed believe that was all that happened?" She said with a grin on her face. She knew. How did she know?

"Fine…Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Kurt, I don't even know if I will remember this conversation by tonight." Kurt's eyes were still questioning. "I promise, this conversation will stay between us."

Without anything to lead it up, the words just slipped out, "We kissed."

Aunt Annie stayed quiet for a few moments before responding, "And?" Kurt's eyes became questioning again. "Kurt, I really don't believe that one kiss tired you out enough to fall asleep."

"Okay, we kissed for a while, you happy?"

"Very," she said going back to her knitting.

Kurt smiled and went back to his yarn separating duties. "But I haven't even heard from him since he saved me from drowning that night…" He said quietly.

"He's a very brave boy, isn't he? It must be awful being who he his and having to live with his grandmother the way she is… It must be even harder to visit a boy at a hospital where everyone already knows him and his grandmother. Maybe…he didn't want anyone to know that he was out that night. Especially that he was with a boy?" She looked at him and raised her eyebrows.

"I guess…But he hasn't even tried to call me."

"Where is your cell phone?"

That was a good question. He didn't remember ever getting his phone back. Or getting his bag back for that matter. "Umm…"

"Well, he called," Aunt Annie said, "Many, many times. I finally caught the phone ringing the fifth time. Finn and his damn music…"

"What did he say?" Kurt said quickly.

"He just wanted to make sure you were alright. He started getting really frantic by the last message-"

"He left messages?" Kurt cut her off.

"Yes…"

Kurt jumped off the couch and darted to where the answering machine was sitting in the kitchen. He saw that the red button was blinking and pushed it without even skipping a beat. As soon as the automated message ended Blaine's voice filled the room.

" _Hello Ms. Annie? This is Blaine Anderson and I was wondering if Kurt was okay. Could you please call me soon. Please tell him he left his bag and phone back at beach. I got it and I'll bring it to him when he comes home from the hospital. Bye."_

There was a beep and the second message began.

" _It's Blaine again. Is Kurt alright? I can't go down to the hospital because too many people know me there…and I wasn't exactly allowed to go out last night. Can you call me when you get the chance? I'm really worried about him. Okay, bye."_

And the next one.

" _I know I have been calling a lot. It's just I really want to know if Kurt is okay. I really care about him and I told him everything was going to be okay but…I don't think I would be able to live with myself if something happened because of me. Okay, bye. Oh, and this is Blaine. Blaine Anderson."_

The last one almost broke Kurt's heart.

" _Ms. Annie? Please pick up… If you see Kurt could you tell him that I miss him? I mean—last night—when we kissed I—wait no—pretend I didn't say that—crap. Sorry, forget I said that either… And it wasn't his fault we fell asleep. He fell asleep first and I couldn't bring myself to wake him up—Stop talking Blaine—I mean…Just call me…Bye."_

As soon as the last message finished he ran into the living room and grabbed the phone.

"What do you think you are doing?" Aunt Annie asked.

"I need to call him. I need to tell him I'm okay." Kurt said dialing the phone.

"Kurt, it's only six in the morning. He is probably sleeping. Just wait a few more hours and he'll be over to see you in person on his way to his lifeguarding."

"You told him to come over? But… I'm grounded."

"Well, you need your stuff back, and your parents said you couldn't leave the house. The front porch is technically still the house."

Everything finally clicked in Kurt's brain. That's how she knew…

"So you knew, all along? Why didn't you just tell me?"

"I wanted you to trust me. And I still won't tell anyone." She stopped her knitting and looked up at him. "He cares so much about you, Kurt. Try to have the best time with him this summer while you can. Don't be scared to fall in love. I let my fears get in the way once, and lost so much. I don't want to see that happen to you."

Kurt nodded at the woman. Even though she was sick, she was still very wise, "It won't," he said. "I promise."

They shared a moment of smiles before Aunt Annie began again, "Now come back and help me with this yarn," she said patting the wicker basket sitting on the couch.

Kurt gave her another smile before sitting down and taking the yarn in his hands. When he looked up he realized the old woman was staring at him.

"Is everything okay?" Kurt asked trying to get Aunt Annie's attention, which snapped her out of her gaze.

"What? Oh, sorry. That happens sometimes. I was just thinking of how much you look like my son." She said nonchalantly before going back to her knitting.

"Where is your son?" Kurt asked, even though he knew the answer. He felt like something was off.

"Vietnam," she said casually before lifting up the sweater she was knitting. "How do you like it? I'm sending it to him once it's finished." Kurt didn't know what to say. Should he tell her that Vietnam had been over for years and that her son was never coming home. If he told her it might risk another episode.

"I think it looks great but—maybe you should make it a little heavier. I heard the nights are really cold over there."

She gave him a large grin and tapped his arm, "You're probably right. But I can only make it thicker if you can get the knots out of that yarn."

"I'm going, I'm going," Kurt chuckled before going silent. He didn't want to make her relive her son's death over again. Having someone you love die once must have been hard enough. Kurt didn't know what he would do if he had to relive the passing of his mother. No, he was doing the right thing.

So, they sat in silence for the next few hours making a sweater for a boy who would never come home.

* * *

After many hours of waiting, the doorbell finally rang. "I'll get it!" Kurt yelled as he swiftly rushed to the door from the living room. He opened the door and saw Blaine standing on the porch with his red trunks and a black T-shirt.

"Hey, I—" Before Blaine could say anything more Kurt through his arms around Blaine's neck and held him there. Blaine tensed for a moment before relaxing into Kurt's arms. Blaine dropped the back he was holding and put his arms around Kurt's waist.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered before pressing his face into the crook of Blaine's neck.

"It's no big deal. I was on my way anyway."

"Not just now, but that night…caring for me, saving my life, everything."

And they stood like that for a while, just hugging. Kurt felt like he really needed someone to hold on to after the traumatic event that took place just two nights before. But there was really only one person he wanted to hold on to. With Blaine, he felt like he would be safe.

"I'm sorry I didn't come see you. I really wanted to, but my grandmother and I know a lot of people who work at the hospital. She doesn't know anything about it right now, but they might have called her, or word could have spread…"

"I understand," Kurt said into his shoulder, hearing the guilt in his voice. "I don't blame you, Blaine, you need to know that, okay?" Kurt said once they broke the hug. He knew Blaine blamed himself for everything that happened. "None of what happened was your fault."

"But, I—" Blaine tried to begin before Kurt cut him off.

"No, it was a freak accident. It was no one's fault."

Blaine sighed and handed Kurt the bag of stuff they left at the pier before the ambulance took them away. "I don't think much was ruined from the storm. Everything seems to still be intact."

Kurt smiled at Blaine and responded, "Thank you. And I'll still text you this week. My dad just said I'm not allowed out of the house so I can 'slow down and rest'. And then next week we can do something together? Maybe go on a—" Kurt hesitated for a moment. What if he didn't want Kurt like that? What if he wasn't ready to be romantic?

"A date?" Blaine finished Kurt's sentence, which made Kurt blush as he nodded.

"We could go to that seafood restaurant down the street. I heard they have excellent lobster…and _oysters_ ," Kurt said grinning.

"Sounds great. But…"

"But what?" Kurt asked confused.

"It's just…my grandmother has lived around here since she was a kid, so everyone knows her. We may have to go somewhere a little more…private, I guess?"

A private date with Blaine did sound nice. But the thought of what they could do on this date sounded even better…

"Kurt?" He didn't even realize that he had zoned out into his own thoughts.

"What?" He said snapping back into reality.

"I was just saying that I'll talk to you later and," he looked around for a few moments like he was checking for something before quickly giving Kurt a kiss on the cheek, "Bye."

Kurt blushed even darker before waving goodbye and going into the house. As soon as he shut the door he fell back slid down to the floor. He sat there for a few moments and touched his cheek gently.

Every moment he was with Blaine made his heart flutter. His heart would skip a beat whenever he heard his name. And whenever they kissed, he felt like the world could be on fire and he wouldn't care. Was that what it felt like to be in love?

He didn't know if it was love. But whatever this feeling was that lingered inside him, he never wanted to let it go.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used: Your Song by Elton John

_Week 5 Day 3_

The week had been uneventful for Kurt. He wanted to see Blaine so badly, but he didn't feel like he should argue with Burt, who insisted he needed to wait out his grounding to its full extent. It was more of a recuperation than a grounding, because the doctors insisted he get some rest during the week for both psychological and physical issues. But Kurt just saw this as time he couldn't see Blaine.

So, the week consisted of baking with Carole, watching movies with Finn and Burt, and spending time with Aunt Annie. Whenever the rest of his family went out to the beach or the boardwalk, he would practice singing while she played the piano for him.

He needed to practice because he would be starting at the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts, along with Rachel, in just a few months. He and Rachel had both made it into NYADA, and they were going to share an apartment together. It was something that he was so proud of, that even though everyone at his school had put him down, he finally achieved something he had worked so hard for.

In the end, the majority of that week's time had been spent texting Blaine, or thinking about Blaine in anticipation of their upcoming date. Every afternoon when Blaine would go down to the lifeguard stand Kurt would give him a large wave from his bedroom window, and then he would vaguely see Blaine wave back.

He hadn't yet told anyone in the family, except Aunt Annie, that he and Blaine were more than friends. He didn't know how they would react, and he had never even seen how his father would have reacted to the knowledge he had a boyfriend, because he had never had one.

Kurt didn't know when the next time he would get near the ocean would be. He had been having the same recurring dream of drowning every night, which made it hard for him to even think about the ocean. Whenever he would go outside, the smell of the sea air would make him sick to his stomach, and whenever it stormed he would put the covers over his head and cry. He couldn't help it, and he wished it all would just go away.

It was finally Monday morning and Kurt was laying on his bed anxiously waiting for Blaine to text him with the details of their date. He didn't know where they were going because Blaine said he wanted it to be a surprise.

As Kurt laid on top of his bed staring at the ceiling, someone knocked at his bedroom door. "Come in," he said sitting up.

"Kurt?" Burt said as he opened the door. "Is it okay if we talk?" He asked waling inside the room.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about? Is everything okay?" Kurt asked sitting up against his headboard.

Burt sat down at the edge of the bed and looked at Kurt, "I just wanted to say that I'm proud of you for staying in this week without giving a hard time. I really felt like you needed some time to slow down this summer. You've hardly ever been here, always out and running around." He paused for a moment and sighed, "I feel like last weekend was just a result of that, never taking the time to think or plan things through."

"I know dad, and I am so sorry for putting you and Carole though all that. And I think I needed some time to get my head together." It was true. After thinking about everything that had happened already this summer, he needed some time to clear his head. Especially after almost losing his life.

Burt looked at him carefully, "So, are you doing okay after, you know, everything that happened last weekend?"

"Yeah dad, I'm doing much better, especially since you guys have been so supportive of me."

Burt smiled at him, "Okay kiddo, try not to get yourself into too much trouble since your officially allowed out of the house today. Do you have any plans?"

"Umm…Well, Blaine and I are going somewhere today. I don't really know where though…"

"Just as long as it's not near the water you can go wherever you want. And your new curfew is at ten. Hopefully that will keep you from falling asleep again…while you guys were doing nothing…" Kurt could see that Burt was suspicious.

"Nothing at all," Kurt repeated quickly.

"Well, have fun," Burt said as got up. He started walking to the door before turning around and asking, "Are you boys doing anything that I should be, you know, aware of?"

Kurt blushed and bit his lip. Should he tell his dad? He knew he couldn't keep him and Blaine a secret for long. "Well…me and Blaine…it's complicated." Is all he could get out.

"Is he gay?" Kurt paused before nodding. "Do you guys like each other?" Kurt nodded shyly again.

"We're kind of…well I don't really know what we are yet." And it was true, he didn't know if he and Blaine were together or just happened to be friends that had very strong feelings for each other. He was hoping this date would help them figure things out.

"Well I'm happy for you Kurt," Burt said honestly, "I mean, I've haven't had to deal with you and the whole dating thing yet. But I'm glad you've found someone, and if you ever need to talk I'm here, or you can talk to Carole. I wouldn't really go Finn for advice though, I mean he's pretty clueless about that stuff and-"

"I got it dad," Kurt quickly interjected.

"Okay, well text me whenever you get to where you're going so I know you're okay."

"Will do dad."

"Have a good time kiddo," Burt said before walking out the door. Kurt sighed in relief before he reappeared at the door, "And you're not just going out with this guy because he saved your life, right?"

Kurt let out a small laugh, "No dad, I genuinely really, really like him."

"Okay, and make sure you thank him for that, from me and all."

"I will be sure to do that for you."

Burt nodded awkwardly and left the room yet again. That hadn't been as painful as Kurt thought it would be. His dad was happy for him, and Kurt wanted no more than to be happy with Blaine the rest of the summer.

* * *

Blaine (10:57)

_I'll be over in two hours. I just have to make sure Jessica is taking over for me today._

Kurt (11:05)

_Are you sure you can take off work? I really don't want to get you in trouble…_

Blaine (11:07)

_It's fine. Jessica is really nice about taking over for me. Oh, and make sure you wear boots and long pants. We're going to be outdoors :)_

Kurt (11:09)

_So, I get another hint. So far all I know is that it's private, far away, and outdoors. I think you can tell me where we're going now._

Blaine (11:10)

_I told you, it's going to be a surprise._

Kurt (11:12)

_You really like surprises, don't you?_

Blaine (11:14)

_I love them ;) Anticipate many more to come._

Kurt smiled at Blaine's last text. He was hoping for many more dates with him, and maybe he would learn to love surprises as well.

Kurt (11:17)

_See you soon ;)_

With Kurt's last text he started getting ready for their date. He wanted to look good, but he was also going outdoors. So he decided to forget about comfort and wore the skinny jeans that he knew accentuated just the right places. He wore a loose, long-sleeved shirt and his lace up boots that came mid-calf. He almost spent an hour on his hair trying to get it just right, starting over at least twice.

Before he knew it Blaine was ringing the doorbell. He quickly ran down the stairs and grabbed his bag. Blaine was right on time, as usual. He was never late, ever.

Kurt opened to door to be greeted by Blaine's smiling face. The same one he had missed so dearly that week. He was wearing dark jeans, a black v-neck, and black hiking boots. Kurt really hoped they weren't going hiking.

"Are you ready?" Was the first thing Blaine asked, looking at Kurt's wardrobe.

"Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?" Kurt questioned defensibly.

Blaine gulped and rubbed the back of his neck, "Of course not—I mean—You look great. But, are you sure you're going to be okay…in that?"

"I'm perfectly fine. Now let's get going. We don't want to get there and then turn right back around."

They walked down to Blaine's car, which was an old, black Escalade. Once they were seated inside Blaine reached behind him and tried to get something out from the backseat.

"These are for you," he said pulling out a bouquet of red and yellow roses.

"Blaine, they're beautiful," Kurt said breathlessly while taking the flowers. "I'm sorry I didn't get anything for you—"

"Don't say anything Kurt. This is our first date, and I really wanted to make it special for you." Kurt couldn't help but smile at Blaine, who immediately smiled back.

"Thank you," was all Kurt could say as he tipped his head down to smell the roses he was holding.

Blaine started the car and they drove off. During the car ride they talked about what Kurt had done during the week and how he was feeling. Kurt was still trying to get Blaine to tell him where they were going, but he wouldn't budge.

"How much longer do you think we have?" Kurt asked after about an hour of driving.

"A few more minutes," Blaine replied simply. They turned down a dirt road and all Kurt could see were trees and flowers out the window.

After about five minutes they pulled into a small parking lot that only inhabited a few other cars. "We're here," Blaine said as he pulled into a space and cut the engine. "I would now like to welcome you to Jake's Branch Park. When I was little, my family would come here all the time whenever we visited my grandmother. And don't worry, there won't be very much walking."

Kurt smiled at Blaine in relief as they got out of the car. Blaine led him to the back of the car and he opened up the lift gate of the van. He handed him a checkered blanket and pillows. "Interesting supplies," Kurt mused.

"Well we need to be comfortable for our picnic don't we?" Blaine countered as he pulled out a large, wicker picnic basket. "I mean we can sit on the dirt if you want…"

"No, no," Kurt chuckled. "It's perfectly fine. I just didn't know a picnic was my surprise."

"Well, it's not all of your surprise," Blaine said while pulling out a guitar case.

"So we're going to have entertainment at our picnic?" Kurt said calmly, trying to hide his excitement.

"As long as you were hoping for the musical stylings of Blaine Anderson," he said closing the lid.

Kurt couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to hear Blaine sing again.

* * *

Their walk through the forest wasn't that tiresome, even though it didn't help that Kurt's boots hardly gave him any support. There was already a hiking trail lined out, along with cute little bridges and signs telling you about the different vegetation. About a mile through their walk Blaine led them off the trail and into the woods.

"It's not that far," Blaine said as they turned off the hiking trail. Kurt followed about a foot behind him as Blaine cut through some branches. After about ten minutes they reached a small open area that was surrounded by trees and flowers.

It was a small circular area right in the middle of the woods that made Kurt have no idea how Blaine could have ever found it. They put down their supplies right in the middle of the field and Kurt stood and looked around for a moment.

There were different colors of tulips planted everywhere around the meadow, with trees that just allowed a little of the sunlight to peek through, creating little patterns on the grass. The sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees made the place feel calm and peaceful. "Wow," was all Kurt could say as he continued to look around.

"Yeah. When my family and I came here one summer, I got lost in the woods, and found this place. It wasn't as nice as it is now though…"

"How did you remember where it was?" Kurt asked now looking at Blaine.

"Well, I really don't know. When I came to live with my grandmother and she finally let me out of the house, I came to this park, and stumbled across it again. I just laid in the grass, hoping all my troubles would just go away. I started coming here almost every week. I planted all the flowers, and tried to make the place look nice. It helped me take my mind off of things."

Kurt smiled softly at Blaine, "It really is beautiful."

Blaine gave a small in return and then snapped back to what they were doing, "You must be hungry by now," he said laying out the blanket.

Kurt paused for a moment before realizing why they were really there. "Yeah, right," Kurt said helping set out the pillows.

They sat down against the pillows, shoulder to shoulder, and Blaine opened up the basket. Kurt tried to look and see what was in the basket before Blaine quickly shut it. "Okay, so I got us Subways, I know it's not the most romantic meal in the world but I knew your order since we got it before and—if you don't want it I understand—" He said, obviously concerned that Kurt wouldn't be approving of what he put together.

"Blaine, it's perfect. You really made everything incredibly special. Don't worry so much," Kurt said laying his hand on top of the other boy's.

Blaine sighed. "It's just…I've never dated a guy before, and I really don't want to screw this up with you."

"It's my first date with a guy too. And I promise, we could have had a date in your car and I would have found it perfect." They smiled at each other for a few moments. Kurt really didn't care where the date was, he just wanted to be with Blaine.

"Wait, you've never…dated anyone before?"

Kurt then realized he had neglected to tell Blaine pretty much anything that had to do with him being gay. Like that he was the only openly gay kid at school, or that he was even bullied in the first place. Kurt couldn't believe that he had never told him that, but it had just never came up.

As they got out the lunch Blaine had prepared for them, Kurt explained how his life at McKinley had been pretty much torture. He told him about how badly he was bullied and how some days he just wished he didn't have to go at all. As they started eating Kurt explained how Blaine had been the first real person he had ever identified with.

"Wow. And I thought I had problems," Blaine commented when he finished.

"Yeah. I guess we both have some serious issues…" Kurt sighed. "But, at least we have each other now, right?"

"At least we have each other," Blaine repeated.

* * *

Their meal continued in virtual silence. They didn't mind though. They enjoyed the peacefulness of the scenery and the songs the birds were singing. Kurt and Blaine would make quick glances at each other only to realize the other was already staring. It would end in both of them blushing every time.

When they were finally finished with everything Blaine had brought, they packed up the basket and laid on the blanket staring at the clouds they could see through the trees.

"I think that one looks like a dolphin," Kurt said pointing at a cloud.

Blaine chuckled and replied, "It actually really does. But I like that one over there." He pointed at a different cloud, "It looks like a heart. Maybe it's the gods sending us good luck on our date."

Kurt turned onto his side to look at Blaine. "Blaine?" He asked shyly.

"Yes?" Blaine said turning onto his side to meet Kurt's eyes.

"Are we…like…do you see us as...would you be my boyfriend?" He finally got out. It had been a question that had been on his mind the whole date.

Blaine paused for a moment. His face was ridiculously close to Kurt, and Kurt could smell the light scent of the cologne he was wearing. It seemed to be the longest seconds of Kurt's life.

"Yes," Blaine whispered, with an emotion in his eyes that Kurt couldn't quite make out. Kurt's heart almost skipped a beat when Blaine slowly closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together softly. Kurt eyes fluttered closed as he put one hand on Blaine's shoulder and the other on his cheek.

They didn't move from that spot for a while as they kissed. Kurt had moved so he was lying on his back and Blaine was hovering over him, supporting himself with his arms. It wasn't needy or forced, just slow and soft, like they had all the time in the world. Finally Blaine broke away and whispered, "Can I sing you something?"

Kurt nodded and sat up slowly as Blaine moved over and pulled his guitar out of the case. He moved so that he was sitting in front of Kurt and put the strap around his shoulders. Both boys must have noticed each other's lips were swollen because they both blushed and turned away their eyes.

Kurt sat in front of Blaine with his legs crossed and Blaine strummed a few chords. He couldn't believe that someone was actually singing a song just for him. He couldn't believe how special Blaine was.

"Umm…I've actually wanted to sing this to you for a while now. But, after what happened last week, I just think I need to tell you how much you mean to me before it's too late." He paused and looked into Kurt's eyes before continuing, "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you. You make me want to be here, living everyday through all of this, so much more. I don't care if we've known each other for only a few weeks, I feel like I've been missing something, and I've finally found you."

Kurt smiled and nodded in agreement. He couldn't really think of what life was like before he knew Blaine. Right now, in this field, he felt like they were the only two people on earth.

Blaine smiled and began strumming his guitar. Kurt recognized the song, and automatically grinned widely. When Blaine started singing, he was the only thing that mattered in the world. It was even more pure than when he sang with Aunt Annie, and he felt like he could listen to his voice forever.

Whenever Blaine would sing a lyric that he meant personally he would give Kurt this smile that would make his whole heart melt. Kurt knew he meant every word of what he was singing:

_It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside..._

By the end of the song Kurt was close to tears, stunned by how much emotion was in Blaine's voice. Blaine just looked at him with wondering eyes. "Did you like it?" He asked as he took off the guitar and laid it back in its case.

"Blaine…I can't…" He couldn't even speak before there were tears streaming down his face. After all the bullying at his school, to almost completely closing himself off senior year, a boy had just sang to him about how wonderful he made his life. It was like it was all a dream, or something he had made up in his head.

"Kurt, don't cry." He said inching toward him on his knees. "I'm not really good at this romantic stuff and—I'm sorry—You want to go home? I mean—God, I'm sorry, it was stupid I—"

"Blaine," Kurt said cutting him off. "You really have to learn when you just need to shut up and kiss me." Before Blaine could even react Kurt had crashed their lips together. It took Blaine a moment to get over the initial surprise before he started kissing back.

This kiss was different than any they had shared before. It was like Kurt needed to be closer and closer to Blaine. When Blaine opened his mouth to take in a breath of air, Kurt took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside. He slowly pushed Blaine down on the pillows and lay half on top of him, supporting himself with the arm that wasn't tangled in Blaine's hair.

He started moving his kisses down Blaine's jaw, and then to his neck, and then his collarbone, whispering, " _thank you"_ between each one. He finally swung his leg over so that he was straddling Blaine's hips. He ducked his head down and started sucking on Blaine's neck, not even caring about the red spots he was leaving behind.

Blaine moved his hand to rest on the small of Kurt's back, slowly moving it down until he was squeezing Kurt's ass. Both boys moaned at the intensity of it all, which was new to both of them. Kurt instinctively rolled his hips down, and could feel Blaine already hard through his jeans.

"Kurt—stop," Blaine couldn't quite get out before Kurt rolled his hips down again. " _Kurt."_  Kurt noticed Blaine's resistance and started pulling away.

"What's wrong?" Kurt said sitting up on Blaine's lap, lips swollen and hair a complete mess.

"I think we might need to, you know, cool down? I mean we are kind of in the middle of a forest and all…" He said breathing heavily.

They were both breathing heavily and as soon as Kurt realized what Blaine meant he blushed deeply and rolled off of Blaine, and pulled his knees to his chest. "Sorry," he muttered softly, pushing his head against his legs so he wouldn't have to look at Blaine.

"Hey, no," he said putting his hand on Kurt's back. "We have all summer to do…that. And it's only our first date…"

"So you want to do, you know, that?" Kurt asked self consciously, finally looking up to meet Blaine's eyes.

"You don't know how many times I've thought about doing that since I saw you in those jeans," Blaine said, trying to help him feel less embarrassed. "And I didn't know that all I had to do was sing, and you would do it for me."

Kurt groaned and fell back onto the pillows. Blaine wanted to do that eventually, but he also wanted to wait. Understandable. And it wasn't like Kurt didn't completely try to eat his face off.

Blaine lay down next to Kurt, supporting himself with his arm on his side. "So you really liked the song?" Blaine asked smiling.

"I really,  _really_ liked the song," Kurt answered back, trying to keep a grin from spreading across his face. It was a few more seconds before Kurt sighed and turned onto his side to face Blaine. "It was really beautiful."

"Well I think you're beautiful," Blaine said lifting his hand to caress Kurt's cheek. Kurt hummed and closed his eyes into the touch. "Especially your eyes, they were the first thing I noticed about you. Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen." He said in a sing-song voice.

"You took that line from Elton John," Kurt mumbled in return, still enjoying the touch of Blaine's hand on his face.

"And I meant every word of it."

For the rest of their date, Kurt and Blaine rested on the blanket looking at the sky and stealing glances at the other. It seemed like this summer could be so easy, just being with each other was all they really needed. They had the whole summer to learn new things about each other, and they had the whole summer to fall in love.


	8. Chapter 8

_Week 5 Day 7_

For the past two weeks since his close encounter with death, Kurt had been having the same dream that would keep him tossing and turning all night, giving him little sleep. Now his dreams were producing awful effects on his mind and body.

And tonight, Kurt was in his bed having the same dream he had been having for three nights now. He would be drowning, and there would be a body floating in the water. Right before he could figure out who the body was, he would get pulled out of the water by Blaine. But the night of his first date with Blaine, the dream changed.

_He was in the water, and like every other dream he never knew Blaine was going to save him, so he believed he was going to die at any moment. Once the body appeared he wasn't pulled out immediately, and the body started drifting closer. He couldn't make out much about the body, just that it was a woman. She was floating limply in the water, and then a light coming from out of the water shined directly on her face and honey-blond hair. It was his mother._

_Once he realized it was his mother, he froze in the water immediately, gasping for air that wasn't there. He wanted to swim over and help her, but something told him there was nothing he could do. His heart started beating faster and faster and finally when he thought he was going to stop breathing a hand grasped his wrist firmly and pulled him out…_

It was the third night he had this particular dream. But something was different, this dream cracked something deep inside of him.

Kurt woke up immediately and sat up straight as an arrow. He looked around the room for a few moments, breathing heavily, trying to remember where he was. He was sweating hard and his heart was beating quickly. It was raining hard outside, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the room. Once he remembered his dream, the tears came, and they wouldn't stop.

His mom didn't have anyone to pull her out of the water, why did he? Where was her Blaine when she was drowning? Why did she have to leave him, only to show up in his dreams motionless?

He didn't want to think about his mother drowning. How it must have felt in those last moments of her life, unable to do anything. Knowing without a doubt that you were going to die, and then actually having to endure the pain of death itself.

A loud boom of thunder rang through the room and seemed to shake the whole house to its core. Kurt covered his ears, trying not to remember what had happened just two weeks before. It had been the first thunderstorm since that night, and Kurt soon realized he was afraid. Not just afraid, but terrified.

He felt sick, so he quickly slipped out of bed and ran to the hall bathroom. But when he leaned over the toilet to vomit, nothing came out. He didn't know why he couldn't stop crying, but no matter how hard he tried to stop the tears kept coming. So he closed and locked the door and looked around the dark room. He decided that the tub would be the safest place to go and sat down inside and started to rock back and forth, unable to control anything his body was doing.

Before his accident he would never have had a dream like this before. Whenever he dreamed about his mother it was always of her reading to him, or playing with him in the park when he was young. Even after she died he never dreamed about her actually dead or dying. He only dreamed about himself falling into the water again and again.

He pulled his knees to his chest, holding his hands over his ears so he couldn't hear the thunder coming from outside. Finally, after almost ten minutes of crying, the tears subsided and he finally just sat there while the storm quieted down. There was only one person on his mind at that moment: Blaine.

He wanted to call him. But he realized it must have been around three in the morning, and he really didn't want to wake him. So he sat for a few more moments thinking about their impending date they were going to have today.

They had gone out every day since their date at Blaine's meadow, which Kurt liked to call it. The day after their date at the meadow, Kurt introduced Blaine to Carole, who seemed to like him very much. Kurt explained to Carole after Blaine left that no one was supposed to know that they were dating because of his grandmother. She understood, and told Kurt if Blaine needed anything, she would be there to help.

Blaine thankfully had came over when Burt and Finn were out seeing the new superhero movie that just came out that week. He decided to wait a while before introducing the family to Blaine at once because Kurt really didn't know how his father would react to meeting Blaine again as his first boyfriend.

The last three days consisted of going to the amusement park, walking on the boardwalk, and going bowling at a nearby bowling alley.  _Susie's_ ice cream parlor had been closed for the past few weeks because it needed some renovations, but it was finally opening back up today and Blaine was planning on taking Kurt there for another 'surprise'.

So today they were going to go to the amusement park again and then to the ice cream shop afterward. Blaine said as long as they didn't show any PDA at the park they should be okay. Before all of their public dates, Blaine told Kurt to make it look like they hardly knew each other, and Kurt hated it. He just wanted to hold hands with Blaine on the boardwalk, or have Blaine wrap his arms around him and teach him to bowl. But it was always the same, and it seemed even worse than when they were 'just friends'. The most they had done on one of their dates was share a small kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel, when Blaine was sure no one could see them.

After getting lost in his thoughts about Blaine, Kurt realized that the storm had stopped and he felt like he could get back to sleep. So he pulled himself out of the tub and shuffled back into his room quietly, glad that he hadn't woken anyone up. He changed out of his sweaty clothes quickly and tucked himself back into his bed, pulling the covers up to his neck and tried to let his mind wonder about Blaine and how happy he would be once he saw him.

* * *

When Kurt finally woke up that morning, the night seemed to take everything out of him. He had an awful headache and his whole body ached from the lack of sleep. He looked at the clock and noticed that breakfast was probably going to be ready soon.

He practically had to use all his energy just to roll out of bed and brush his teeth. He didn't even bother changing his clothes or fixing his hair before walking downstairs to find his family, minus Aunt Annie, already at the table while Carole still finishing the last batch of pancakes.

"There you are Kurt," Carole said smiling. "I was just about to have Finn wake you up."

Kurt hardly acknowledged Carole before sitting down at the table in the empty chair beside Burt. "Are you okay?" Burt asked looking at Kurt's glazed over expression. "Is there something wrong?"

Kurt slowly turned his head to face his father, who was giving him a concerned look. "Just tired, that's all," he said lethargically and distant

"Dude, you really don't look okay." Finn said trying to help the situation. "Your eyes are all puffy and dark around them."

Kurt darted his eyes at Finn. "Thank you captain obvious," he said bitterly. His headache was getting worse and all he wanted was to get back to sleep. "Where's Aunt Annie?" He asked directed toward his father.

"She's not feeling too well today, so she won't be having breakfast with us," Burt said. "Are you doing anything with Blaine today?" He asked trying to change the subject.

"Just another one of our dates. Or our 'we're in public so we can't talk' time." Kurt said sarcastically.

"What's going on with that? Why can't you talk to each other?" Burt prodded.

"Can you just stay out of my personal life, okay?" Kurt snapped at his dad.

For the past few days he had been snapping at his family for things that weren't even a big deal. Once he even snapped at his dad for changing the channel, when he wasn't even watching the TV in the first place.

He noticed how taken aback his father was and felt the pain in his head intensify. He pushed away from the table and stood up abruptly. "I'm not really that hungry, I think I'm going to go back to sleep."

The rest of his family stared at him as he walked out of the kitchen without another word. Once he got back upstairs he shut his door and fell onto his bed, not even caring to pull on the covers.

* * *

What woke him up for the third time that day was 'Your Song' playing loudly into his ear. It took him a few moments to wake up enough to realize it was cell phone ringing. He knew it was Blaine calling because he had changed only his ringtone to that song after he sang it to him in the meadow.

He reached to the bedside table and answered his cell phone, "Hey," he said groggily.

"Hey Kurt, I was just calling to tell you I'm on my way down to the lifeguard stand, and I'll be picking you up at 6:30 to go to the amusement park."

"Okay," he said drowsily, letting out an audible yawn.

"Were you sleeping? Oh Kurt, I'm sorry…"

"It's not a big deal Blaine. Stop making everything a big deal." He muttered harshly.

"I—Wait, have you been asleep all day? Because it's already two in the afternoon."

Kurt didn't even care what time it was. "Yeah…your point?" He said harshly.

"Are you feeling okay? If you're not feeling well we can always go another day—"

"I'm feeling fine. Just some dreams have been keeping me up and I'm just tired."

"Anything you want to talk about? I can help if there is anything—"

"I said I'm fine." Kurt said cutting Blaine off a little more harshly than he had intended. He knew he didn't even mean it. He wanted Blaine to come and hold him in his arms and tell him everything was going to be alright. But what if he thought something was wrong with him? What if he didn't want to be with someone with so many emotional problems?

"Okay…So you're sure you want to go out tonight?" Blaine finally asked.

Kurt sighed and replied, "Yes. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Blaine. I'll see you at 6:30?"

"See you at 6:30." Blaine said before hanging up.

Kurt felt like a wreck. He didn't know what was wrong with him and he didn't like the way he was starting to act to the people he cared about. He especially didn't want to start lashing out at Blaine.

* * *

Blaine came to pick Kurt up that evening wearing his red lifeguard trunks and his gray 'Ocean City' T-shirt. Kurt was about to get angry at him for not changing before realizing how stupid it was. It wasn't like they were going to a fancy restaurant, it was a casual date to an amusement park. He even convinced himself that he was overdressed and went upstairs to change while Blaine followed him.

"Kurt," Blaine said knocking on his closet door. "You look fine, I love what you were wearing," he said sincerely.

"Well you're biased because you love everything that I do," Kurt said mockingly while looking for something else to wear.

"And I also love sharing a seat on the Ferris wheel with you, which we aren't going to be able to do if you take all night trying to pick out your clothes," he said chuckling.

Kurt stood in his closet and took in a large inhale through his nose and exhaled slowly. He opened the door without changing anything and walked into the middle of his bedroom throwing his arms into the air. "Let's go then, god forbid we miss walking through an amusement park pretending that we hardly know each other. Oh, and maybe we'll share a small kiss on top of the Ferris wheel. Would  _you_ like that Blaine?" He said sarcastically.

"Kurt was is it with you lately?"

"I just don't like not being able to show my feelings for you. I want to be able to hold your hand on the boardwalk. And I want to kiss you when you get a strike or at the off chance my ball doesn't go into the gutter when we bowl."

"Well you can kiss me now," Blaine said walking up to Kurt and giving him a tiny kiss, but Kurt quickly turned his head away. "Come on Kurt, you saw my grandmother. If anyone from her church group saw us she would know and—"

"She would know and do what Blaine?" Kurt said crossing his arms.

"She would kick me out of the house! We've been over this." Blaine said raising his voice just a little bit louder than normal.

"Well you could come and live with Aunt Annie. There's a pull out couch and—"

"There's more than just sleeping arrangements when it comes to someone moving out and leaving the house. There's money, which I have none of. And I just can't leave."

"But you told me on many occasions that you would leave that hell hole if you could. I am offering you a way to leave. Why don't you just leave?"

"I can't, okay? I just can't."

"Why?" Kurt prodded. He had no clue why Blaine couldn't leave. He wanted to be with him, and the only way to truly be with him would be to get him away from his grandmother.

"I—I need her for things—it's complicated."

"Why can't you just tell me why you can't leave? Why can't you tell me the truth?" Kurt let out an emotionless laugh. "Do you feel like you can keep things from me because saved my life? You know what? If you really cared about me as much as you say you do you would tell me." Blaine's facial expression changed into something Kurt had never seen before. It wasn't anger, but total hurt that spread across his face.

As soon as he said it Kurt regretted the entire conversation. Now he just accused Blaine of not caring about him, but he knew he was the person Blaine cared about the most. He also knew he was probably one of the only people who cared about Blaine.

"Blaine—I—I don't know what's wrong with me—I'm s-sorry—"

"I've never felt like you owed me anything, Kurt. Do you feel like you owe me something? Like you have to be with me because I saved your life?" Blaine asked coldly, looking straight into Kurt's eyes.

"What? Why would you ask something like that? Blaine, I lo—"

"Don't say it. Not like this." The hurt in Blaine's eyes made Kurt feel like the worst human being on the planet. "When you figure out what you want you can call me. And if you don't I'll understand," Blaine said walking out the door of his room.

"Blaine, please!" Kurt yelled with tears in his eyes after a few moments of standing in shock. Once he made it downstairs, Blaine had already left, and Kurt was alone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is definitely rated M and the song used at the end is Come Away With Me by Norah Jones. Also, each new day starts at midnight so that is the transition.

_Week 6 Day 1_

It was their first real fight, and Kurt thought he was going to fall apart at the seams. What was wrong with him? Why did he say those things to Blaine? Was it really that he wanted to be closer to him? Or was there more?

He never went downstairs that whole night. He shut and locked his door, hoping everyone would leave him alone. He stayed in his bed and stared at the ceiling thinking about calling Blaine. Why couldn't he just call him? He needed Blaine to know how sorry he was. He picked his phone up multiple times just to set it back down.

When he finally had used all his energy from crying and thinking of how he could change things, he fell asleep, and that's when the dreams began. It was the same dream he had been having for the fifth night in a row. But this time, Blaine never saved him.

* * *

He woke up the next morning both mentally and physically exhausted. Every time he would wake up it would be right when his dream self was supposed to die. He had the same dream at least four times that night, waking up shaking and in tears every time. He needed Blaine, but he felt like it would just make things worse by calling him in the middle of the night.

He looked at the clock and noticed it was already past breakfast. His family must not even bothered with waking him. He probably wouldn't have even wanted to eat anyway. Everything was wrong, and Kurt needed to make it right.

After a few minutes of lying in bed, thinking of how he could make everything okay with Blaine, he decided he would go out and try to find him. He took his phone off the bedside table and stared at it, not knowing whether or not to call him. He finally found the courage to dial Blaine's number, hoping they could meet and Kurt could apologize. He knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was Blaine.

There was no answer. It went straight to Blaine's voice mail, which Kurt had made with him right after he got him the phone. Kurt decided not to leave a message, thinking it would be easier to go out and find Blaine himself. It was his day off, so he was probably at home.

He quickly got dressed and ran down the stairs, noticing that only Carole was downstairs. "Where is everyone?" He asked standing in front of the kitchen.

"They're out getting Aunt Annie some medicine. She had another episode this morning," she said sadly while taking a sip of coffee at the table.

"What happened?" Kurt asked sitting down at the table.

"She was almost finished knitting a sweater, which was supposed to be for her son, Johnny. But something must have happened… She remembered. She remembered that he had died years ago, and she started screaming things. She says she just wants the pain to go away. I don't know what to do. Why can't I help her?" Carole said with visible tears in her eyes.

Kurt moved his hand so it was resting over Carole's. "You are helping her Carole," he said trying to help to the best of his ability. "We—we knew this was going to happen eventually…and I think being there for her while she's sick, and letting her know we love her is the best thing we can do."

"Thank you," she said giving him a small smile. They sat in silence for a few moments before Kurt got up to leave.

"And Kurt?" He turned to look at her while he was halfway out of the kitchen. "Is everything okay?" She asked with a concerned expression, and he knew what she meant.

"I don't know, Carole. I really don't." And that was all he said before walking out the door.

* * *

The next thing Kurt knew was he was standing in front of Blaine's house, unsure what to do. He just couldn't go to the door, because there was risk of his grandmother answering it. Maybe he could try calling him again and see if he would come out and talk to him.

He took out his cell phone and called Blaine's number. He was just about to hang up after about ten rings when Blaine's voice filled his ears, "Hello?"

Kurt had never wanted to hear someone's voice so much in his life. "Blaine? Thank you so much for answering, I know you probably didn't want to. Are you at home?"

"I'm not. I'm actually with my grandmother right now and if she sees me with this phone…I can't talk right now I really have to go." Kurt knew Blaine was hanging up.

"Wait! I mean…I'm really sorry for yesterday. I know what I want and—"

"Kurt, I really have to go." He heard Blaine sigh. "We'll talk some other time, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt said quietly before Blaine hung up the phone.

Why did she always have to get in the way? Why couldn't she just accept who Blaine was? It made Kurt angry to think of how things would be different if she wasn't in the way of their happiness. None of this was Blaine's fault, and that was Kurt's mistake. He let his anger and frustration out on one of the only people who truly cared about him.

He walked for a while trying to clear his thoughts. When he made it to Aunt Annie's house he didn't stop. He kept walking until he reached the boardwalk. He passed by  _Susie's_ and realized that the place was empty, so he decided to go inside. He really just needed to clear his thoughts, and he knew Susie was easy to talk to.

When he walked inside Susie smiled. "It's surprising to see you here, without Blaine and all."

He sat down at the counter in front of her."Yeah…We kind of…well…" He sighed and dropped his head, "I really messed up."

"I heard. Not that you messed up. But Blaine came by last night to tell me he didn't need the shop for the night anymore."

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked with a confused look.

"Well, Blaine had asked me if he could borrow the shop for a few hours. And since he's my best costumer…Well, it's Blaine, I really couldn't say no could I?" She smiled to herself and then looked like she was remembering something. "Do you want anything?" She finally asked.

"No thank you. Maybe in a few minutes." They smiled at each other and Susie went back to cleaning the counter. "So he wanted the place…"

"For your date, yes." She completed his question. "He paid me to decorate the place for you guys once I closed the shop. He even told me to make sure I had a banana split ready for you guys." Kurt was astonished. He remembered how many times he would order a small one hoping one day they could share one together.

"He came in last night," she continued, "and he looked very upset. He kept muttering that he was an idiot and that he'd lost you forever."

"What? No, we just had a fight because I'm selfish and can't control my emotions."

"Are you sure Blaine knows that? You know he makes everything his fault, even when he had absolutely nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, like he thinks me almost drowning was his fault. But he was the one who saved me."

"How are you doing with that?" She asked looking at Kurt concerned. "Almost drowning is a pretty big deal."

"I'm fine. I've been having some bad dreams but I think that's normal."

"Okay. Don't be afraid to ask for help if—"

"I'm really just fine. Why do people always feel like I need their help?" Kurt cut her off, not hearing the harshness in his own voice.

"Okay, okay. No need to get hostile over here." She said stepping back.

"I think I'm going to go," he said getting up quickly. "Thank you for telling me about Blaine." He needed to go home. His headache was coming back and he felt like he could snap again at any moment.

"I hope you guys figure things out!" She called as he left the shop.

He practically ran home. He felt so awful about getting angry at Blaine about not being able to show their affection to one another. Blaine was practically giving them a night of just the two of them, and Kurt ruined everything. What was wrong with him? Did he really need help?

* * *

_Week 6 Day 2_

He went straight to bed that night, not even having dinner or saying a word to anyone in the house. He needed to get to sleep as quickly as possible. He needed to forget about how much he missed Blaine. He wanted to make things right.

But with sleep came dreaming, and tonight he was having the worst of them all:

_It was storming, and he and Blaine were standing at the end of the dock, the water swirling beneath them. At the moment that Kurt was supposed to fall in the water, it seemed like time froze. He and dream Blaine looked at each other, and Blaine mouthed the words, 'I'm sorry'._

_Before Kurt could ask what was going on, why Blaine was sorry, time began again. Kurt looked back at Blaine who was at the very end of the dock, and noticed that his eyes were squeezed shut. "Blaine!" He called to try to get his attention, but it was too late. The board Blaine was standing on snapped, and before Kurt could do anything Blaine was in the water with a loud splash._

_Kurt was stunned, unable to move as Blaine went under and didn't come back up. He didn't know what to do. If he went in after him there was a large chance that he would drown too. It was like his body wouldn't allow him to go in the water, like it was paralyzed._

_But it was Blaine. Kurt had to save him just like Blaine had saved him before._

_Without another thought, Kurt jumped into the cold, dark water and swam back up to the surface. He struggled for a few moments, looking around to see if he could find Blaine. He could hardly see anything but darkness, except for the moments when lightning illuminated the night sky._

_He grabbed onto one of the poles that connected the dock to the ground, taking in a large breath before going under. He looked around for a few moments before realizing he couldn't see anything, and he ran out of air quickly. He swam back up and took in another breath of air and went back down, hopefully for longer this time._

_While he was under the water, a bolt of lightning crashed through the sky, lighting up the water and allowing Kurt to see just for a few moments. The light flashed and Kurt saw the outline of a body floating near the bottom. He memorized where it was and went back up for one quick breath of air. He went under and started swimming down, hoping he wouldn't run out of air before going back up._

_He reached where Blaine's body was and felt around for something he could grab onto. He finally found his wrist and started swimming back to the surface. It was a challenge trying to get Blaine out of the water because Kurt wasn't a strong swimmer. But Kurt got them to the shore and set Blaine down on the beach, petrified at how lifeless he looked._

_His lips were purple and his skin was pale white. Kurt didn't know much about CPR except what he saw in the movies. He put his ear down on Blaine's chest, realizing quickly that he wasn't breathing. He gave him a few chest compressions and tried mouth to mouth but nothing was working. "Wake up!" He yelled at him. "It was supposed to be me! I was supposed to die!" He was crying now, and his whole body was shaking. "I need you Blaine!" He went down to give him mouth to mouth again, but instead just gave him quick kisses. He didn't know what to do._

_Blaine was dead, and Kurt couldn't save him._

Kurt was woken up by a loud boom of thunder at about two in the morning. He sat up quickly, already crying and shaking. He put his hands over his ears, squeezed his eyes shut and let out a loud sob. Everything was too much. The storm, the dream, and the fact that he had just felt what it was like to see Blaine die. He took his phone off the nightstand and went into his closet, which seemed like the safest place.

He sat in the corner against the wall without even bothering to turn the light on. He couldn't stop crying, his dream too realistic and the images of Blaine lifeless haunted his thoughts. He needed to hear Blaine's voice, he needed to know he was okay.

He dialed Blaine's number, hoping that his phone would be on and that he would answer. Another pang of thunder shook the house, and Kurt let out a loud sob as he waited for Blaine to answer. "Please pick up, please," he whispered.

"Hello?" Said a half asleep voice from the other end of the line. It was the only sound Kurt wanted to hear.

" _Blaine_ ," was all Kurt could get out before he started sobbing uncontrollably.

"You know it's two in the morning—Kurt? What's wrong?" Blaine's voice became more alert. Kurt just kept crying, unable to form words. "Kurt, please tell me what's wrong. Are you hurt? Why are you crying? You need to tell me so I can help." His voice was becoming anxious.

"You-you were—I couldn't-" his voice cracked. "I needed to hear your v-voice. I'm sorry for w-waking you."

"Shh…" Blaine soothed. "Kurt don't be sorry, just tell me what happened."

"You were dead, and I-I couldn't save you. Why couldn't I save you?" Kurt tried to control the sobs but nothing was working, it all had felt so real. "I needed to know y-you were okay, I-I just needed to hear you. I needed to know you were okay..."

"I'm here. I'm okay and you're okay. Where are you?"

"In-in my c-closet. The storm—it's bringing everything back." Another boom of thunder made Kurt squeeze his eyes shut and cringe at the sound, willing the memories not to come back.

"Okay, just stay where you are and try to calm down. I'll be over as fast as I can," he said quickly and Kurt could hear things rustling from the other end.

"Blaine g-go back to sleep. I'll be f-fine," Kurt said shakily, knowing he wasn't being very convincing.

"No, Kurt, this is all my fault. I'm so sorry I let this happen. Just wait a few minutes, don't worry. I'm going to-" But before Blaine could finish the line went dead. The storm must have been doing something to the phone service.

"Blaine? Blaine are you there?" Frustrated, Kurt threw his phone at the wall and curled up against the wall. He was still crying, but not as hard as he was before. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine that he was somewhere else, only to be brought back to reality with every flash of lightning and boom of thunder.

After about 20 minutes, Kurt's breathing had finally slowed down and his body had stopped rocking. He felt tired and alone, only wanting for Blaine to hold him in his arms again. The side of his head was resting on the wall and his knees were pulled up to his chest. And few tears fell every so often, whenever the image of Blaine's pale body flashed into his mind.

He felt someone open the closet door and flinched, finally looking up to see Blaine standing in front of him in a drenched sweatshirt. "Kurt?" Blaine said walking into the closet and dropping to his knees.

"Blaine?" Kurt said as loudly as he could, which was hardly any sound at all. He couldn't see much except for the outline of his body, which was enough for Kurt to totally break. He started sobbing uncontrollably, unable to control the emotions rushing through his body.

Blaine pulled off his wet sweatshirt to reveal a black tank top, and put his arms around Kurt, holding him just like that night while they waited for help to arrive.

"You were—you weren't breathing. And you were pale and your heart—it wasn't beating anymore. It just stopped. I-I needed to hear your voice. I can't lose you. Please don't leave me."

"Shh…You're okay. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." Blaine said kissing Kurt's temple.

Blaine held him for a while, right there on the floor. Blaine was sitting up against the wall with Kurt's head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Kurt slowly stopped shaking as Blaine ran his hand up and down his arm, trying to calm him and make him feel safe. He didn't ask any questions, or say anything about how it probably wasn't safe that Kurt had been leaving his balcony door unlocked.

Kurt was finally calm, and the storm seemed to have reduced to just rain. He looked up at Blaine to see that his eyes were shut. " _Blaine_ ," he whispered.

"Yes?" He whispered back, not opening his eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" He asked innocently, like all the strength had been taken out of his voice.

Blaine looked down at him and kissed the top of his head. "I think that you were affected by what happened more than you would let yourself, or anyone, believe."

"I should have asked for help…I just ended up almost losing you."

"No, Kurt, I should have seen the signs. All of the lashing out, and when you told me you were having bad dreams…I'm going to be there for you, as long as I can. I'm going to help you get better." He held him close for a few more minutes before tapping on Kurt's arm. "Do you think you can move to the bed?" Blaine asked, noticeably uncomfortable.

Kurt nodded and sat up, looking into Blaine's eyes. "Thank you," he said sincerely, not really saying what he wanted to say, because he didn't feel like it was the right time. When he told Blaine those three words, he wanted it to be perfect, and not right after a posttraumatic stress induced emotional breakdown.

Blaine smiled at him and lifted his hand to wipe away the tears that were still staining Kurt's face. "How can you still look so perfect even when you're crying?"

Kurt's face heated as he looked away, "I'm not perfect."

"You are my definition of perfect," he said before leaning in for a kiss. It took a moment for Kurt to kiss back, putting his hand around the back of Blaine's neck and threading his fingers through his hair.

"I've missed that," Kurt said when they finally broke apart exhaling.

"Me too," Blaine said pushing some of Kurt's hair off of his forehead.

Blaine stood up and held out his hand to help Kurt up. Kurt took it and stumbled on his way up, falling into Blaine's arms. Blaine helped him stand up straight, putting his hands on his waist.

Kurt looked up and noticed Blaine lick his lips as his eyes flicked from Kurt's eyes to his mouth. Kurt put his hands on his shoulders and closed the space between them, pressing his lips to Blaine's. Blaine didn't hesitate to kiss back, wrapping his hands around Kurt's back, pulling him closer. "Your shirt is drenched," Blaine whispered in between breaths.

"Yours is too. I guess that's what happens when you walk here in a rainstorm."

Blaine chuckled and smiled into another kiss. Kurt ran his hands down the sides of Blaine's bare arms and down the sides of his waist, grabbing the hem of his shirt.

He started tugging on his wet shirt, asking for permission. Blaine pulled back and nodded before he put his hands up to allow Kurt to take it off. Kurt took it off in one swift movement before crashing their lips back together. They both moved out into the bedroom together, never separating from each other.

"We really should get you out of this wet shirt, you might catch a cold," Blaine said insistently, starting to undo the buttons of Kurt's pajama shirt. Kurt hesitated for a moment, unsure if he was ready to be this intimate with Blaine. Blaine must have felt it too because he stopped for a moment. "Is this okay? I just want to do what will make you feel better." The sincerity in Blaine's eyes made Kurt's heart melt. He nodded and allowed Blaine to unbutton his shirt, never losing eye contact.

They stopped for a moment to take each other in. Although Kurt had seen Blaine without a shirt before it was never quite like this. Kurt remembered that this was the first time Blaine was seeing Kurt shirtless and started to wonder what could possibly be going through Blaine's head. He began to feel extremely self-conscious under Blaine's intense gaze.

"Hey no," Blaine said walking close to him and cupping his face in his hands. "You're beautiful," He found Kurt's eyes and kissed him lovingly. Kurt kissed back instantly, sucking on Blaine's bottom lip to deepen the kiss.

Kurt backed them up until his knees hit the bed and they toppled onto it. Blaine laughed and Kurt pushed himself up the bed so he was sitting against the headboard. Kurt bit his lip and motioned for Blaine to follow. He slid down to lay on his back as Blaine crawled up the bed and began kissing his neck.

"Your pants are getting the bed all wet," Kurt said, hoping it would get Blaine to take them off.

"Hmm…I guess I should have thought about that," he pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead and rolled off the bed. Kurt stared at Blaine as he united his sweat pants and dropped them to the floor, revealing blue boxer briefs and a visible erection.

Kurt's breath hitched for a moment. He didn't realize how badly he wanted Blaine until right then. He sat up and quickly pulled Blaine onto the bed, causing him to yelp in surprise.

Blaine finally settled with his arms on either side of Kurt, supporting himself. "Hi," he said quietly as he hovered inches over Kurt.

"Hey," Kurt said softly in return before surging up to give him a long, languid kiss. He lifted his hand and ran it through his wet curls. The kiss soon became more heated and desperate as Kurt swiped his tongue against Blaine's lips asking for entrance. Blaine parted his lips as their tongues began to battle for dominance.

Their tongues explored each other's mouths for a moment before Blaine moved his mouth down Kurt's jaw and then to his neck, trailing his tongue down to his collarbone, causing Kurt to let out a low moan. Kurt closed his eyes and let his head roll back, giving Blaine more access.

Blaine moved the hand that he wasn't supporting himself with up and down Kurt's chest. Sometimes his thumb would brush against his nipple, emitting an ungodly sound from Kurt's mouth. Every time his hand made it to Kurt's hips, he would hesitate at the waistband of his pants before starting up again.

"You can touch me," Kurt said breathlessly when he noticed Blaine toying with the waistband of his pajama bottoms.

"What?" Blaine asked out of breath, still preoccupied with marking Kurt's neck.

"You can touch me, if you want to," he repeated, not even embarrassed with his request. He bucked his hips again, this time bumping into Blaine's thigh, creating wonderful friction. " _God. Please touch me."_ He groaned softly.

Blaine pushed up and looked down into Kurt's eyes. Both boys' eyes were hungry with want, pupils lust blown and darkened. "Are you sure?" he asked quickly.

Kurt nodded quickly pulling Blaine's head down for another kiss. Blaine slid the hand resting on Kurt's waistband and starting palming him through the fabric of his pajama pants. " _Fuck,_ " Kurt gasped. " _Please_ "

In one swift motion, Blaine pulled both Kurt's pants and underwear down to his thighs, freeing Kurt's own straining erection. Blaine stared for a moment at his flushed cock before kissing him roughly and taking Kurt into his hand. Kurt's hips instinctively snapped up to meet his grip.

Blaine pumped slowly while kissing Kurt's chest. Kurt whimpered and arched his back at the touch of Blaine's rough hand. Blaine swept his thumb over the slit, spreading the pre-come that had gathered there, causing Kurt to thrash wildly at his bed sheets.

"Faster," Kurt pleaded. Blaine listened and sped up his pace.

"God you're so hot," Blaine muttered as Kurt threw his head back and moaned, bucking his hips into Blaine's hand in rhythm with his strokes. Blaine took the opportunity to suck at Kurt's exposed neck, soothing the sore spots with his tongue.

Kurt felt the coiling in his stomach and knew he wasn't going to last much longer. It only took a few more strokes before he was coming into Blaine's hand, a muffled moan escaping from both boys lips. Blaine pumped him through his orgasm until he finally came down from his high, breathing heavily and heart racing.

Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes with a glazed expression before kissing his forehead and rolling onto his back next to him. They laid there as their breathing became steady for a few minutes, Kurt's eyes shut in utter bliss.

He finally opened his eyes and looked over at Blaine, who was already staring. He rolled over onto his side and started tracing shapes on Blaine's exposed stomach before hesitating, "Wait, do you need me to—"

"No, ugh…I'm taken care of…" Kurt glanced down and realized Blaine's boxer-briefs were already stained.  _Oh._

"Maybe we should…clean up?" He suggested realizing how sticky and uncomfortable he was, "I have some sweats you can borrow…"

"Okay. Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

"If it isn't too much trouble," he said shyly.

Blaine shook his head and caressed Kurt's cheek. "You will never be too much trouble."

* * *

"Are you feeling better?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear as he laid behind him on the bed, arm draped around his stomach and holding him close.

"Much," Kurt said sleepily. "Sorry about everything I said the other day."

"Don't be, I should be the one that's sorry."

"For what?" Kurt didn't think Blaine had anything to be sorry about. He was the one with issues, he was the one who couldn't get over his near death experience.

"For not being there for you when you needed me these past two weeks. You were alone with how much your accident affected you. I want you to call me whenever you have a bad dream, okay? And I am going to try to spend more time with you."

"Okay…" Kurt mumbled, trying not to fall asleep.

"And Kurt?"

"Mhm."

"Sometimes you just can't save everyone." He murmured softly.

"What do you mean?"

"In your dreams, and in real life, things happen that you can't prepare for. Sometimes you just can't do anything about it."

"But I am going to save you…"

"In your dream?"

Kurt shook his head in reply. "Just like you saved me. I don't want to know what it feels like to lose you ever again."

Blaine pulled Kurt closer and kissed the back of his bare shoulder. "Maybe you won't," he whispered softly.

"Can you sing me to sleep?" Kurt mumbled with his eyes closed, barely able to form words because of how tired he was.

"Sure…" He softly began to sing in Kurt's ear:

_Come away with me in the night,_

_Come away with me, and I will write you a song…_

He sang lovingly into Kurt's ear while Kurt let his mind drift off, just keeping his thoughts focused on the sound of Blaine's beautiful voice.

Kurt smiled and drifted off into a calm sleep, with no dreaming or nightmares, just with the knowledge that Blaine was there, holding him in his arms.

_Come away with me_


	10. Chapter 10

_Week 6 Day 2 (Continued)_

Kurt woke up the morning and stared at the ceiling, not immediately remembering what had happened the night before. Once the memory of everything that happened came rushing back, a smile crept across his lips. He remembered how Blaine came in the middle of the night to help him through his dream. He remembered all the kind things Blaine told him, about how he was going to be there for him. He remembered how much he really wanted Blaine, and the new things he had done that he had never experienced with another person before. And he remembered just how perfect his life had become when Blaine entered into it, even though some people wouldn't see it that way.

He bit his lip and looked over to see there was an empty space next to him. He wanted Blaine to be lying there, but he knew he had to leave soon after he fell asleep. He wondered about how great it would feel to wake up beside Blaine, and to see his smiling face staring back at him. Maybe if he did move to New York with him things like that could happen, but for now he was just hoping for the next seven weeks they had left of the summer.

Kurt rolled over onto the other side of the bed and buried his head into the pillow Blaine had used. Kurt breathed in Blaine's scent, wanting no more than to thank him again for being there for him the night before.

He sat up and looked around the room, noticing that the clothes Blaine used were neatly folded on the dresser, with a blue sticky note taken from his desk sitting next to it. He walked over to his dresser and read the note, finding out it was from Blaine.

The note said:

_Dear Kurt,_

_I wish I didn't have to leave you, but you know how things are…_

_I don't know how long I can go without seeing you again, but I was hoping we could go to the meadow together around three? I heard it is supposed to be a beautiful day._

_-Blaine_

Kurt smiled at the simplicity of the note and practically ran to his phone to text Blaine a reply:

_Of course I will go to the meadow with you. And thank you again for last night. I don't know what I would have done without you._

_-Kurt_

He looked out his window and saw the sun was bright in the sky and there didn't seem to be too much damage from the storm. Not many people were down by the beach, and Jessica was at the post like she was every morning. Kurt remembered that Blaine had his shift from 12 o'clock to 2 on Sundays, right after church, which his grandmother forced him to go to. But at least Sundays were a day that Blaine was mostly free.

Kurt got ready quickly and went downstairs to see if anyone was making breakfast yet. He saw that Carole was in the kitchen just getting out supplies to make pancakes.

"Do you need any help?" He asked as she got out the pancake mix and eggs.

She smiled and handed him a measuring cup. "Can you fill this up with half a cup of water please?"

"Of course," he said taking the cup and heading to the sink.

"Did you sleep okay last night? I heard that there was an awful storm. But your father and I didn't hear a thing."

Kurt smirked and filled the cup with water. Did he sleep well that night? Well… the second time around was better, although he did have the help of Blaine jerking him off… Kurt shook his head and tried to pull himself back into reality. "Umm...I didn't hear the storm either," he managed to choke out.

"That's good," she said finally and went back to mixing the eggs into the batter.

While they made breakfast together, Carole didn't comment on how different Kurt was acting, although she did grin at the wide smile across his face and the tune he hummed while they worked.

Kurt was humming and smiling for reason. He felt better that day, like all he needed to do was let someone know things hadn't been alright before. Blaine had helped him exponentially, and everything down to his presence in the room had brightened. He actually felt good. He wasn't tired or irritable like he had been the past weeks following his near death experience. He felt like things would get better, and even though he knew it would be a while before the dreams totally stopped, or the flashbacks went away, he knew as long as he had someone like Blaine to hold onto, everything would be okay.

There was one thing she did comment on while they were making breakfast. "Maybe you should do something about those hickeys before your dad sees them," she said not turning away from the stove.

Kurt stopped immediately what he was doing and put his hand on his neck, blushing a deep red. How had he not noticed that? "Uh, thanks…" he said before running up the stairs, not noticing the wide smile on Carole's face.

* * *

"So, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" Kurt asked Blaine as he sat facing him on his lap, legs crossed behind his back and arms lying limply on his shoulders. Their faces were only a few inches apart as they talked lazily in the meadow on top of Blaine's picnic blanket.

The day was beautiful, as Blaine had said it was supposed to be. It wasn't too hot or humid, although the ground was still a bit wet from the storm that ran up the New Jersey coast the night before. The forest was noisy and full of life. They could hear the birds singing and the different insects chirping away, which made everything that much more peaceful and relaxing.

"You first," Blaine said kissing Kurt's nose quickly.

Kurt thought for a few moments. "Well…I've already been to New York, and that was always my first choice. So..I guess now the next place on my list would have to be Paris."

"I hear Paris is a beautiful city. It's the city for  _lovers_ , such as ourselves." Blaine said in an overdramatically seductive voice.

"Okay Mr. Sexy," Kurt said hitting Blaine's shoulder. "It's your turn now. Where is the number one place that you want to go? Your dream destination."

"Hmm…" Blaine paused for a moment. "There is this one place in Australia that is known as the best place to look at the stars in the world…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Not really the most interesting of dreams really…It's not like I'm ever going to get there anyway…"

Kurt thought about how Blaine had told him he wanted to be an astronomer. He wondered what was holding him back. Maybe there wasn't enough money for him to go to college, but Kurt knew he probably was smart enough to get a scholarship. Kurt also didn't like that Blaine felt like his dreams weren't important, or that he would never accomplish them.

"That sounds like a great place," he said softly. Kurt noticed Blaine's face drop and tried to fix whatever was wrong. "Hey," he said trying to find his eyes. "We have our whole lives to go to these places. There is nothing wrong with having dreams. I am sure you will get there someday."

"How do you know?" Blaine asked immediately after Kurt finished, looking back into his eyes honestly.

"Well…you're smart, kind, motivated, amazing, strong…must I go on?" Kurt said smiling widely.

"It wouldn't hurt," Blaine chuckled before adding, "I guess I just like to live in the moment. Sometimes people can get caught up in what they want for the future, and not enjoy the journey that gets them there. For me, the adventure is the much greater experience."

"This summer has definitely been an adventure hasn't it?" Kurt sighed. "I mean it would help if I didn't keep messing things up. Going crazy wasn't exactly on my 'things to do' list."

"You are not crazy. Maybe a bit broken, but we can fix that," Blaine said while rubbing the side of his back. "Are you sure you don't want to tell your parents about your dreams? Or you could just tell them you're having a hard time coping with the accident? Maybe they could get you some help. There are plenty of therapists in the area—"

Kurt shook his head quickly. "No, no you are the only person I need. And my parents have enough going on right now with Aunt Annie. They don't need me in that mix."

Blaine took Kurt's hand and kissed his knuckle softy. "Okay, but promise me when you go to New York you will get some sort of help, because I won't be there every day to help you get through it."

Kurt didn't like the idea of Blaine not going to New York with him. He also didn't like the idea that he needed professional help. He knew that he had posttraumatic stress disorder and those things should be treated seriously, but Blaine was enough, right?

"I promise," Kurt finally said. He would do anything to let Blaine know he would be alright.

Blaine smiled and pulled the back of Kurt's hand up to his lips and held it there, closing his eyes. "What are you doing?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Just trying to memorize this. This, and every moment with you…" Blaine tilted his head to the side slightly and added with his eyes still closed, "And I'm also trying to figure out why your hand is so soft."

Kurt laughed softly. "Moisturizing. Lots of moisturizing."

Blaine smiled and rubbed the back of Kurt's hand against his cheek. "Feels really nice," he hummed.

"I do the same for my face," he added quickly. Not really the most eloquent of things to say but the response was the one he was looking for.

Blaine opened his eyes and brought his hand up to Kurt's cheek, caressing it lightly with the back of his hand. Kurt relaxed into the touch and closed his eyes, realizing what Blaine was talking about when he wanted to memorize the moment. "My lips too," he added softly.

He felt Blaine's fingers trail down his lips, parting them slightly.

Without opening his eyes, Kurt felt Blaine press his lips to his own. Blaine took the hand that was once on his lips and cupped his cheek to hold them in place. They kissed like that for a while before Kurt pushed Blaine onto his back slowly, so he was now straddling his thighs.

They broke apart so Blaine could fully lie down on his back, and Kurt looked down at the handsome boy lying under him, wondering why he was so lucky. Maybe Blaine was his reward for making it through high school alive. Whatever the reason, Kurt was happy now, and he knew that if he only had these few weeks to be with Blaine, he wouldn't waste them.

"You should sing for me," Blaine said, snapping Kurt out of his thoughts.

Kurt motioned to how he was sitting on top of him. "What? Like this?"

"If you want to. I wouldn't mind really," he grinned overly flirtatious at him.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "But there's no music, and I don't even have a song…"

"Come on Kurt. I've never even heard you sing before. Please?" He pouted his lip and made sad puppy dog eyes. Kurt knew he was going to fail miserably at resisting his request.

"How do you even know I can sing?"

"Kurt, you got into a school in New York for dramatic arts. I am pretty sure you can sing. Do you not want to sing to me? Is that it? I mean, I understand if you don't…"

"Of course I want to sing for you," Kurt cut him off. "How about this, tomorrow before your shift come over and I'll sing for you while you play the piano. That way I'll have time to prepare and we will have more time for this now…" Kurt bent down and kissed him for a few moments before continuing, "My dad and Carole will be out anyway because Aunt Annie has to go into the hospital for some tests."

"I guess that's alright," he said trying to act innocent.

"Do you need me to kiss you again? Would that make up for me not singing for you?"

"Maybe…That could help a little…" Blaine looked into his eyes hopefully.

"Your adorableness kills me. I don't know if I will be able to take it the whole summer."

"I'm adorable?" Blaine lifted an eyebrow. "Well that is very different from what you were saying last night when we were—"

Kurt kissed him hard while Blaine was in mid sentence, trying to keep him from rehashing the things they had done the night before, and rested his hands on his shoulders. He could feel Blaine chuckling under him and a smile spread across his face while he kissed back. "Do you want to do  _that_ again? Like last night?" Kurt asked shyly in between kisses.

"Umm…yeah…but…"

"I know… I know…not in a forest…" Kurt remembered the last time they started something like that in the meadow Blaine stopped it because he was uncomfortable. Kurt kissed him harder and rubbed his hand down his arms, feeling the tone in his muscles.

"Kurt, the woodland creatures may be watching…" Blaine said lazily while taking a breath, not really meaning much of what he was saying. The kissing picked up until the only thing they could hear were the sounds of their heavy breathing.

"And we don't want to have the scarring of little woodland animals on our consciences…" Kurt rolled his hips down subconsciously, unable to stop himself before letting out a whimper.

"Horrible thing to live with…" Blaine countered quickly, moving his hand down Kurt's back and onto his ass, causing Kurt to rock again and both boys to moan.

"So, so horrible," Kurt breathed while running his fingers through Blaine's hair.

"I guess I could be willing to pay for their therapy if you are…"

"Would it be worth it though?" Kurt asked while Blaine moved to kiss down his neck. "I heard animal therapy can cost a fortune…"

Blaine bucked his hips to meet with Kurt's and moaned. "Totally worth it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used: My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion

_Week 6 Day 3_

Kurt started practicing his song as soon as he got home from his date in the meadow with Blaine, which had ended with an extremely awkward walk back to the car. At least no one noticed their stained jeans and Blaine had extra swim trunks they could wear for the hour drive home.

He didn't dream again that night, which gave Kurt hope that he was getting over his posttraumatic stress, and he knew Blaine was the reason for it.

That morning after breakfast, he went back up to his room to practice his piece. His cell phone rang almost immediately before he started singing.

"Hey," Kurt said as he answered the phone.

"Hey Kurt, so umm…it's Blaine."

"I know. Cell phones have caller ID, remember?" He chuckled.

"Right, sorry. Still getting used to having one again…I'm not talking to you too much am I? I don't want you paying more than you have to…"

"Everything is fine Blaine. Well…is everything okay?" Kurt could tell Blaine was nervous about something from the tone in his voice. "Are you still going to come over today? I was practicing my song last night for you."

"Why wouldn't I? I mean—of course. What time are your parents taking Ms. Annie to her doctor's appointment?"

"Her appointment is at 1:30 so they will be out of the house by one. So I guess you could come over around then."

"That sounds great." Blaine replied. "I have to run some errands with my grandmother this morning but we should be done by twelve. I don't have to work today either, or for the rest of the week."

"Why don't you have to work this week?"

"Pulled a few strings. Killed a few people. You know the drill." Kurt laughed and Blaine continued, "Basically, I just wanted to be able to spend all of Fourth of July week with you."

Kurt paused for a moment. He had totally forgotten the day of the week let alone the date. It was already July? He walked over the calendar hanging over his desk and noticed that July 4th was only two days away.

"Are you sure? I don't think your grandmother will be happy if she finds out you're with me on your week off…"

"She's never going to find out… _She can never find out_ ," he said softly.

"And she won't…We've been careful with where we go and who sees us so we should have nothing to worry about."

"I hope so…" They were both silent for a moment before Blaine changed the subject. "I have some things planned for Wednesday. Ocean City always has this amazing 'Independence Day' firework show and I know the most perfect place to watch them..."

"You aren't going to tell me anything else about it, are you?"

"You know me oh so well." Blaine mused. "Umm… I wanted to know-" Blaine stopped suddenly and Kurt heard someone calling his name in the background. "I have to go. See you at one, bye." Kurt heard more yelling before Blaine finally hung up.

"Blaine?" Once Kurt realized he was gone he put down the phone and began to practice his song again. He knew the song by heart and had been singing it for years, but he wanted to make sure it was perfect for Blaine.

Kurt had been on the couch waiting for Blaine for at least half an hour. He was scared something was wrong, but he didn't want to call him in case he was still with his grandmother. He didn't expect for Burt, Carole, and Aunt Annie to be back for at least two more hours, but they were running out of time if they wanted to do anything that Kurt had been hoping they would do with their alone time. Kurt knew Finn would be in his room, but he was too dubious to figure anything out anyway.

Over the course of the half hour Kurt checked his phone multiple times to make sure he hadn't missed a text from Blaine. He ended up practicing his song at least ten more times and then making a turkey sandwich for himself to pass the time. He was finally about to give up waiting when the doorbell rang.

Kurt nearly leaped off the couch in pursuit for the front door. He stopped for a moment in front of the door to smooth down his shirt and hair. He took in a deep breath and calmly opened the door to see Blaine standing in front of him in a black, striped sweater and jeans.

"It's good to see you. I was beginning to get worried," Kurt said with a relieved tone.

"Sorry," Blaine mumbled, eyes down toward the ground.

"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked concerned, still standing in the doorway.

Blaine nodded in response to Kurt's question. "May I come in?" He asked picking up the strength in his voice.

Blaine finally looked up and Kurt's eyes widened and mouth dropped almost immediately.

Blaine's eyes were completely bloodshot and he was at least ten shades paler than his normal tan completion.

Kurt nodded, not taking his eyes off of Blaine as they entered into the house and ended at the piano in Aunt Annie's room. They sat down on the piano bench side by side and Blaine put his fingers on the keys. "You printed sheet music for me?" He asked, looking at the sheet music on the piano Kurt had taken forever to find.

Kurt turned and laid his hand on top of Blaine's that was closest to him. After a few moments of silence Blaine turned his head and met Kurt's eyes, sweat dripping down his forehead. His eyes were dark and swollen, and his hand felt like it was on fire. "Blaine, are you feeling alright?" Kurt asked in a soft yet alarmed voice.

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "Come on, I really want to hear you sing. I know you are amazing and if we don't get started soon it might be too late and-"

Kurt put his hand on Blaine's forehead and he stopped talking instantly.

"Blaine…You're burning up." Kurt said moving his hand to cup Blaine's cheek.

Blaine nodded into Kurt's hand. "It was hot outside. I'm okay…"

"You are definitely not okay. Do you need to lie down or something?"

Blaine took Kurt's hand off his cheek and held it. "I'm fine. It must be because my car broke down and I practically had to run here from my house." He smiled and rubbed the back of Kurt's hand with his thumb. "Really, I feel fine."

"You sure?" Kurt asked skeptically.

"Sure as I'll ever be. How could I ever feel anything less than perfect when I'm with you?"

Kurt blushed and decided to set up the sheet music up for Blaine on the piano. He still didn't believe that everything was alright, but he didn't want to make things worse by pushing the subject for too long. He remembered what happened the last time he wouldn't let something go…

Blaine played a few chords and the intro to the piece to becoming familiar with it. "Are you ready?" Blaine asked still playing.

"I've sang Celine Dion in French Blaine, of course I'm ready." Kurt said playfully.

"Just making sure…" Blaine said starting the intro of the song. Kurt thought the arrangement he chose of the song was extremely beautiful, and he was glad it wasn't too hard for Blaine to sight read.

Kurt sat facing forward on the piano bench, hoping that it would allow Blaine to hear him over the sound of the piano. He took in a large inhale before singing with perfect tone and clarity:

_Every night in my dreams_

_I see you, I feel you_

_That is how I know you go on_

Kurt noticed a large smile spread across Blaine's pale face as he sang the first lines.

_Far across the distance_

_And spaces between us_

_You have come to show you go one_

Blaine never faltered as he played and neither did Kurt as he sang. It was as if they were in their own little world where no one could find them, or take away what they had together.

_Near, far, wherever you are_

_I believe that the heart does go on_

_Once more you open the door_

_And you're here in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

Kurt closed his eyes and tried to imagine a world where everything was perfect. A world where he and Blaine could be forever together, singing and laughing and being teenagers. A world where Blaine's parents accepted him and the world accepted who they were.

Kurt came to the last chorus and sang out with even more emotion:

_You're here, there's nothing I fear_

_And I know that my heart will go on_

_We'll stay forever this way_

_You are safe in my hear_

_And my heart will go on_

Blaine closed the song and slowly lifted his hands off the keys. Kurt waited for him to say something but he just kept his head facing forward.

"So…Did you like it?" Kurt asked after another few moments of silence.

"Like it…" Blaine repeated. He shook his head and looked as if he was bringing himself back to reality. "Did I like it? I wouldn't really say that…" Kurt looked at him confused. "It's just, your voice is so unique and breathtaking…I couldn't really say anything less than I absolutely loved it."

Kurt smiled in relief. "Well thank you. And you're not just biased because you love everything that I do?" Kurt asked teasingly.

"Absolutely not. No wonder you got into a school in New York. You were probably at the top of their list."

"Oh, stop it," Kurt said pushing him playfully. "I'm not  _that_ amazing."

Blaine turned to him and smiled. "Nope. You are definitely  _that_  amazing," he said mocking Kurt's tone. He paused for a moment. "I think, if a voice could cure cancer…it would be yours." Blaine leaned in a gave Kurt a quick kiss on the cheek, heat still radiating off his body.

"Would you like something to eat?" Kurt asked quickly, realizing Blaine must have never gotten a chance to eat. "I've already eaten lunch but I can make something for you if you want."

"I'm not really that hungry but thank you for asking."

"Well…if you're not hungry than maybe we could go up to my room? We could watch a movie or something…"

"Or something..." Blaine repeated with a flirtatious smile on his face. Kurt couldn't stop thinking of how pale Blaine looked, his body still warm.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurt asked yet again.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Please stop asking me that Kurt. I feel wonderful, never been better." He stood up and held out his hand for Kurt to take. "Come on, we won't have any time if you keep stalling like this."

"I'm not stalling. I just want to make sure you're alright-"

"And I told you, I am perfectly fine." Blaine persisted, his breathing becoming slightly heavier.

Kurt knew something wasn't right, so he decided it would be best if him and Blaine didn't do anything physical. He would much rather enjoy a calm, relaxing day with Blaine. "I would really feel better if we just watched a movie." He said quickly.

"Is it because you don't want to do  _that_  with me anymore? I mean, I know I'm inexperienced but I thought that we were going to work on that together."

Kurt stood up and held Blaine's hand, standing only inches in front of him. "Of course I want to be with you like that, Blaine. You're amazing…in  _that_ area." Kurt couldn't help but blush as the memory of the last two days flooded his mind. "It's just-"

Blaine put his hands on Kurt's hips and pulled himself in so they were flush against each other. "I know you want to…" He whispered into Kurt's ear, his tone totally changing. "I've had an awful day…and I just really want to touch you…I can make you feel good…" Blaine latched his mouth onto Kurt's neck, sucking hard. Kurt's eyes widened in surprised and then fluttered shut as he felt Blaine run his tongue over spots he had been sucking on. "I want you…right now…please Kurt…"

Kurt had never heard Blaine talk like this before. And as much as he didn't want it to, Blaine's begging was turning him on. "Blaine, we can't…"

"But we can…" Blaine said wrapping his arms around him and sliding his hands into the back of Kurt's jeans.

Kurt needed some air, and Blaine was making him extremely hot, just from the amount of body heat alone. "Okay…" He breathed.

Blaine slowly backed away and took Kurt's hand, leading him out of the room. "Wait a second," Kurt said before they started up the stairs. Blaine looked back and waited for Kurt to say something else. "Oh, umm…I need to get something before we start…I'll be right back."

Blaine nodded, "I'll just go upstairs then, don't be too long."

"I won't," Kurt said forcing a smile before turning around and heading toward the kitchen. There was obviously something wrong with Blaine. He had never acted like this before. What was he supposed to do? Should he tell Blaine just to go home and get some rest?

He paced the kitchen for a few moments before hearing a thud come from upstairs.

"Blaine?" He called walking up the stairs. He walked into his room and realized that Blaine was nowhere to be seen. "Blaine?" He called again, a little more anxious. He walked quickly down the hall, deciding that he would go see if Finn had seen him. On his way to Finn's room he heard sounds coming from the hall bathroom. "Blaine, is that you?" He said knocking on the door. No one responded. "Answer me. Blaine are you alright?" Kurt couldn't take it anymore so he slowly turned the knob and opened the door.

Blaine was sitting on floor hunched over the toilet, breathing heavily. He looked up and met Kurt's eyes. Before Kurt could do anything, Blaine's eyes widened and he started throwing up into the toilet violently. Kurt ran immediately to Blaine's side, rubbing his back as he heaved what seemed like more than he could possibly have in his stomach.

Once he had stopped, Blaine waited over the toilet just in case it started again while Kurt rubbed his back carefully. "I'm sorry," Blaine finally said, not looking up. "I should have listened to you."

"Don't be sorry," Kurt soothed.

"I should be sorry for acting like that. I really don't know what I was doing."

"It's okay, I knew you weren't being yourself. It was probably the fever talking."

Blaine nodded and started to sit back. Kurt helped him sit back against the wall and put his hand on his forehead again. His head was even warmer than it was before. "Blaine…"

"I know…Do you have any Tylenol?"

"Is that all you need?" Kurt said pushing Blaine's sweat drenched hair off his forehead.

Blaine nodded weakly and Kurt stood up and looked in the bathroom's medicine cabinet for something to bring down Blaine's fever. He found the Tylenol and filled a small cup with water. He squatted down next to Blaine and handed him the medicine. "Do you want to go lie down?" He asked thoughtfully.

Blaine shook his head slowly. "I think if I move we will have a rerun of the previous episode."

Kurt gave him a small smile of reassurance and kissed his forehead. "Okay, I'll be right back."

"I'll be here."

"Promise?" He said standing in the doorway.

"Promise," Blaine repeated.

Kurt ran downstairs and got a large bucket out of one of the closets, deciding it would be best if Blaine wasn't sitting on the cold bathroom floor for too long. He went to the kitchen sink and wet a washcloth for Blaine's forehead, hoping it would help his temperature.

He raced upstairs as fast as he could and ran into the bathroom, seeing Blaine was in the exact same position as he was before. He had his eyes closed and his head resting against the wall. Kurt knelt down next to him and lay the wet cloth on his forehead.

Blaine opened his eyes and smiled at Kurt. "Thank you."

"I think we should move you to my room. I brought you a bucket in case you get sick again."

"I guess so…" Blaine sighed, obvious that he didn't want to move.

Kurt helped Blaine up and walked him down the hall and into his room, placing him gently on the bed. He pulled the sheets up and lay the wet cloth back on his forehead as Blaine hummed and closed his eyes, seeming to feel a little better.

Kurt pulled up a chair from the back of his room and set it right next to the bed. He held Blaine's hand and started running his fingers through his curls with the other, trying to let Blaine relax. Blaine closed his eyes and Kurt started humming a lullaby that his mother used to sing to him.

His fever must have been incredibly high to produce the side effects it did. It hadn't seemed to go down any since he took the medicine, but those things always took a while to kick in.

Kurt stopped humming after about ten minutes and kissed the back of Blaine hand, upset that Blaine was so sick. Blaine opened his eyes and looked at Kurt in a way that he never had before."I love you," Blaine said without any uncertainty or hesitation.

Kurt paused for a moment, realizing it was the first time Blaine had ever said that to him. Was it just the fever talking? Did he really know what he was even saying? Blaine was looking at him with most adoring eyes he had ever seen, even through the red and purple rings around them.

He had wanted to tell Blaine he loved him since the night he came to help him through his nightmare. Even if it was the fever talking, Kurt knew Blaine probably meant it.

It wasn't exactly how he had expected it, just like he hadn't expected their first kiss. But he knew what he wanted to say in return.

"I love you, too," Kurt said.

"You love me…" Blaine said, almost too soft to hear. A large smile spreading across his face as he looked at Kurt with affectionate eyes.

"I love you…" Kurt said again, almost as if he was reassuring Blaine and himself.

Blaine stayed silent for a moment, looking as if he was thinking deeply about something."Kurt?"

"Yes, Blaine? Is something wrong?"

"Even if we couldn't be together…would you still love me?"

"Of course I would," Kurt said. "And we'll be together. New York is only two hours away so I can visit you all the time."

"You know what would be nice?" Blaine asked while closing his eyes again.

"What would?"

"If I could be with you forever," Blaine sighed. "But there are so many things in the way. Like this summer…my grandma. And my parents stopped loving me, that means you could too, right?"

"Why would you ask something like that?"

He opened his tired eyes and looked at Kurt solemnly. "Because…you're the only person in this world who loves me," he said quietly, tears coming to his eyes.

"That can't be true…"

Blaine looked away from Kurt and nodded. How could a person live without knowing they were loved? Even the people who were supposed to love him unconditionally gave up on him.

Kurt took Blaine's hand and held it to his own chest, which caused Blaine to look back into Kurt's eyes. "No matter what happens…" Kurt began, "I'm not going to do what your parents, or anyone else in your life has done to you. I promise."

"And I promise to be here for you," Blaine whispered in return.

They were silent for a few minutes, staring lovingly into each other's eyes before the washcloth on Blaine's forehead slipped off and covered his eyes. Blaine started laughing at himself and Kurt couldn't help but start laughing as well. Kurt loved the sound of Blaine's laughter and wished he could hear it more often. Kurt lifted one side of the washcloth to reveal of Blaine's eyes. "Hello there," he said playfully.

Blaine giggled as Kurt took the washcloth off his forehead. "I'm feeling much better now," he said smiling as Kurt threw the washcloth into the empty bucket beside the bed.

"I'm glad you are. Do you know what you might have?" Kurt asked.

Blaine tried pushing himself up into a seated position and fell back, not yet strong enough to support his own weight.

"Let me help," Kurt said sitting Blaine up and setting moving few pillows for him to sit against.

"Thanks," he said once he was sitting up comfortably. "I don't think it's serious. Probably just a virus or something. The Tylenol should keep the fever down…"

"Well do you want any soup or something? I could make some for you, if you want."

"Shouldn't I be getting home? I mean, your parents are bound to be home any minute. I don't want you to get in trouble..."

"Blaine, you can't walk home on your own, especially in your condition."

"You could come with me…You know, to make sure I don't get hit by a car or abducted by aliens…"

"Because we all know the aliens want to take you back to your home planet," Kurt smirked.

"I'll go only as long as you come with me," Blaine said sweetly.

Did anything come out of his mouth that was neither a compliment or hopelessly romantic? "But really, are you sure you're well enough? I don't want you to get sicker."

"I'm fine. Watch." Kurt lifted an eyebrow as Blaine nearly hopped off the bed. Kurt stood up as soon as he knew Blaine was about to fall over, catching him and supporting him upright.

"Yes, Blaine, I find this perfectly fine."

"Really, I can walk home. I just got up too fast." Blaine sighed before standing up fully straight and stepping out of Kurt's hold. "My grandmother is expecting me home soon. She knows I don't have work this week, and she's already angry enough at me as it is. I know I can make it if you come with me… but I just really have to get home."

The urgency in Blaine's voice made Kurt reconsider. He knew how his grandmother was, and he didn't want Blaine to get in trouble. "Okay…" He finally said.

Blaine smiled and they started getting ready to leave, Blaine going to brush his teeth with one of Kurt's spare toothbrushes while Kurt texted his dad and told if he wasn't home not to worry. He also went to tell Finn that he was leaving, finding out he had slept through the whole ordeal, not even knowing Blaine had come over.

Blaine seemed to be doing okay on the way to his house. The fever had definitely broken and the color was coming back to his skin. Kurt just hoped that his grandmother wouldn't be to upset about him being sick.

When they reached the house Blaine took Kurt's hand pulled him around to the side of his house, stopping at a small window. "This is the window to my room," he said slowly. "If you ever need me and can't reach me, I want you to come and find me. I usually don't leave my room so if I'm home I'll be in here." Blaine lifted the pulled the window up, "I always leave it open, just in case."

"Okay…I hope you feel better soon. Do you think you will be well enough for the Fourth of July?"

"I will make sure I am," Blaine said, stepping closer so he was only a few inches away from Kurt. He kissed Kurt on the cheek and whispered, "I love you," into his ear.

"I love you, too," Kurt whispered back, as if Blaine's grandmother could hear them.

Blaine pulled back and started making his way into his window. "Thank you, for everything, and your singing is beautiful," he said, reminding Kurt just how much had happened in those short hours.

"I guess I'll see you Wednesday?" Kurt said, not exactly knowing what else to say.

"I can't wait," he said smiling before ducking his head under the window sill.

Kurt started walking away and Blaine poked his head back out, "And Kurt?" Kurt already knew what they both wanted.

Kurt turned around ran back to Blaine, kissing him hard from outside the window. He didn't even care if he would get sick, just knowing he wouldn't see Blaine for two days made him want to give him a proper goodbye.

They stood for a few more moments, Kurt holding Blaine's head still as they kissed. They finally pulled apart and smiled. "Thank you for loving me," Blaine said genuinely.

"Thank you for letting me love you," Kurt said in return, remembering how scared Blaine was to be in a relationship with him in the first place.

When they finally parted ways, Kurt thought again about how lucky he was. Even though today wasn't one of their best days, Kurt knew they had many to come. They would help each other through the hard times, and make the other feel loved until the bright times came again.

That night Kurt did have a dream, but in this dream, he spent the rest of his life with Blaine, as they constantly exchanged the words "I love you" without caring who heard them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song used in this chapter is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. (It will be in bold so you can tell the difference from the actual dialog)

_Week 6 Day 4_

The next day started as normal. Kurt woke up, had breakfast with his family, and went back to his room to get dressed and wait for a phone call from Blaine. He didn't want to call him in case he was at the doctors with his grandmother or trying to sleep, so he waited on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking.

It was almost halfway through the summer and Kurt couldn't believe how different it had turned out. At the beginning, he didn't even think he would make it through the first few days of living by the ocean without any of his friends. But now, Kurt was in love.

_He was in love_. Even the thought of it made Kurt blush. It wasn't too long ago he was in a homophobic school, feeling alone. Yet meeting Blaine made him realize he wasn't truly alone, he had a loving family and friends. Blaine had no one before he met Kurt.

It was about ten in the morning when his cell phone started buzzing, he didn't look to see who it was before answering.

"Hello?" He asked anxiously, thinking it would be Blaine on the other end.

"Kurt Hummel, what is this I am hearing about you almost drowning?" Kurt was slightly thrown off from the feminine voice screeching at him from the other end.

"Rachel?" He asked sitting up immediately. It took him a few moments to remember how much Rachel had been texting him, and how he had never gotten around to texting her back. He hadn't even told her about Blaine yet. How had he forgotten about Rachel?

"I had to hear it from Finn! Finn! What's been going on? I haven't heard from you for months!" She took a few seconds to calm herself down.

"Rachel, I am so sorry. Things have been so crazy, I just…forgot to tell you. But, I should have called you. Really, I'm sorry."

"Yeah you should've…I guess I'll forgive you. It wouldn't be good if we started off living together in New York with grudges. But you're alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine now…" What should he tell her? Kurt decided it would be best if he told her the whole truth. "It's kind of a long story…"

"I have time," Rachel replied.

Kurt sighed and laid back down on his bed. "It kind of started the day I arrived, when I saw this lifeguard out the window of my room…"

* * *

It took Kurt almost an hour to explain to Rachel the whole story of why he almost drowned, which had turned into him explaining his whole summer thus far. Whenever he started talking about Blaine he would start rambling about things like his hair or how warm it was in his arms. Rachel wouldn't stop him, she just listened, seemingly happy that he had finally found someone.

"…and tomorrow he is taking me out for the Fourth of July fireworks. It's another surprise so he won't tell me where." Kurt finished.

"Well if it's anything like the other surprises you told me about, I'm sure it will be amazing." Rachel said. "He sounds like a great guy."

"He is…" Kurt smiled softly.

There was a small silence before Rachel asked, "So…have you guys…done anything? You know… _below the belt?_ "

And there it was, Rachel Berry's never failing blatancy. She was his best friend, but he didn't know if he wanted to tell her  _that_ much. He had left that part out of the story on purpose.

"We…we've done… _stuff_."

"You've had sex!" She gasped. It reminded Kurt just the reason he hadn't told her in the original story.

"Shh!" He responded quickly before remembering he was on the phone and he was the only one who could hear her. "We haven't done  _that_ yet so calm down."

"Yet? Kurt…"

"Yes, yet. Why does it matter to you what we do?"

"I just don't want you getting in too deep with a summer fling."

"That is not what we are. He means a lot to me Rachel and I know I mean a lot to him. And besides, it isn't just a 'summer fling'. We are going to be together longer than this summer."

"What if you aren't? A lot of these things don't last, Kurt. You really mean a lot to me and I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Blaine wouldn't hurt me, Rachel. You'll see when you come and visit in a few weeks."

"I do believe you. He seems like a great guy. He saved my best friend and made him happier than I've ever heard him before." She sighed. "Just be careful."

"I'm pretty sure the worst things that could happen have already happened…" He said jokingly. "I will be careful, don't worry."

"Make sure you keep me updated. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Only seven more weeks until NYADA!" She squealed, trying to brighten the conversation.

"Can't wait…"

Well, maybe he could wait, just a little longer. Seven weeks until NYADA meant seven weeks until he had to leave Blaine. He knew their relationship would change once they couldn't see each other every day, but they would still be together. It wasn't just going to be a summer fling like Rachel had said. It wasn't going to end there, right?

Blaine never called that entire day. Kurt was beginning to get worried until he finally got a text from Blaine that night right before he went to bed. It said he was sorry he hadn't called and he was still going to pick him up for the fireworks. Kurt didn't bother asking why he couldn't call, he just texted him back that he was excited and couldn't wait to see him again.

As he lay in his bed that night trying to wrap his head around the conversation he had with Rachel that day, Kurt's phone lit up and displayed Blaine's name yet again.

Blaine (11:35)

_I love you, Kurt._

Kurt smiled and texted Blaine a reply.

Kurt (11:36)

_I love you, too._

Because he did love him. Yes, they had only known each other for a few weeks, but Kurt felt like he had known Blaine for so much longer than that. They had been through so much together, so there was no way their relationship would come and go with the passing of the summer.

Everything was going to be alright.

* * *

_Week 6 Day 5_

The next day started off normally. The family of four decided they would have a cookout that afternoon because Kurt would not be going to the boardwalk with them that night.

"I want to see Blaine before you guys go out tonight," Burt said as he ate his burger.

"Dad…" Kurt groaned.

"Come on. I need to at least have a decent conversation with the boy one of these days." Kurt was about to comment before Burt said, "And that day on the beach does not count."

"Fine," Kurt mumbled. It wasn't that he didn't want his father to meet Blaine again, it was just he knew it would be terribly awkward.

"Are you sure you and Blaine don't want to come down to the boardwalk with us?" Carole asked. "I used to go every year when I was young. There will be great music and even a parade this year."

Kurt shook his head. "Thank you for asking, Carole. But, I really am excited just to see what Blaine has planned for us tonight."

"Okay, we probably won't have as much fun without you," she said smiling.

Burt and Finn both chuckled under their breaths. "What's so funny?" Kurt asked defensibly.

"Nothing…I was just telling Finn about the time we went to see the fireworks in Columbus when you were younger. How you freaked out and your mom and I couldn't find you for ten minutes." He started laughing again as he remembered the story. "Turns out he was hiding under the truck in the parking lot." He told everyone.

Kurt blushed. "Maybe we would have more fun with him," Finn joked.

"I can see it now, Kurt running and hiding under the boardwalk after the first boom," Burt chimed in.

"Don't get any ideas," Kurt said before finally laughing along with the rest of his family.

Kurt liked this. After spending so much time with Blaine he had almost forgotten what it was like to laugh with his family. Kurt felt an overall happiness that he had never felt before. He was going to school in New York, he had a great family, and he had a boyfriend who loved him.

* * *

Blaine finally came to the door that night around eight o'clock. As soon as he opened the door Kurt stepped onto the porch and wrapped his arms around him. It felt like he hadn't seen him in years.

"Are you feeling better?" Kurt asked.

Blaine nuzzled his head into Kurt's neck and exhaled. "Much better."

"Do you know what you had?"

Blaine shook his head into Kurt's neck and squeezed his arms around him harder.

They stood there for a couple minutes with their arms around each other before they heard someone clear their throat. Blaine looked up and immediately let go of Kurt and stepped back. "Mr. Hummel. I…erm…it's great to see you again."

Kurt turned around and saw his dad standing in the doorway with an amused expression on his face. "Please, call me Burt," he replied. "Come on inside, I don't want to keep you two away from your…hugging…for too long."

"Dad…" He muttered and gave his dad a pleading look, hoping Blaine didn't notice. He didn't want his dad to make the interaction more awkward than it should be.

As soon as the three of them walked inside Carole came out of Aunt Annie's room seeming upset. "Is everything alright?" Burt asked her.

"The nurse who was going to come watch Aunt Annie tonight can't make it. So it looks like I'll have to spend the Fourth of July here."

"Carole, I'm so sorry," Burt said. "I know how much you wanted to go to the boardwalk for the festival again. We can stay here with you…"

"No, you all should go. It's not a big deal." Carole said. Kurt felt bad. The Fourth of July festival on the boardwalk had been something she was talking about for weeks.

"Kurt and I could stay here," Blaine suggested. "I mean, as long as it's okay with you," he said turning to face Kurt.

"Can we still see the fireworks from here?" Kurt asked.

"Of course," Blaine said. "We'll just have to walk out a little farther because the house next door is blocking the immediate view."

Kurt thought for a few moments before finally agreeing. As long as he was with Blaine everything would be perfect.

Carole thanked the boys profusely before leaving, telling them not to go out too far and to check on Aunt Annie often.

Burt made it clear that there was too be no "funny business" while they were gone. Both boys blushed and promised they would keep the PDA to a minimum, even though they knew Burt didn't even know what they had done with each other yet.

After his family left, Kurt lay on the sofa for a while with his head on Blaine's lap. "Are you okay with going near the ocean?" Blaine asked concerned.

"Yeah…" Kurt looked up at Blaine. "So are you really feeling better?"

"Perfectly perfect in every way," Blaine said.

"Okay…you really worried me the other day."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you. I don't want you to start getting stressed and it be my fault. And I especially don't want you to start getting nightmares again because of me."

"You are doing the exact opposite lately. I've been having wonderful dreams. Mostly about you…" Kurt trailed off.

"Me what?" Blaine smirked.

Kurt sat up quickly, "I think it's almost time for the fireworks to start. We should get going."

"Fine, don't tell me. I'll just have to use my imagination." He said as he walked off after Kurt, who was already halfway to Aunt Annie's room.

* * *

They checked on Aunt Annie before Blaine led Kurt outside onto the back porch. There was a cool breeze blowing in the night air and the stars were visible in the sky. They took off their shoes and stepped onto the cold sand, which surprised Kurt and made him giggle.

Blaine smiled and took Kurt's hand in his. "I kind of like this better anyway," Blaine said. "It's much quieter out here." They walked down about halfway down the beach before sitting together on the sand, the house still completely visible in their view in case Aunt Annie needed them.

They could see the boardwalk in the distance from their spot on the beach. The lights were glimmering brighter than they did on most nights, and they could hear the light beating of music. "Where were you going to take us anyway?" Kurt asked.

"The roof of the ice cream shop," Blaine said. "Perfect angle to watch the fireworks. But we would have had to been much more discreet. Like I wouldn't be able to do this." Blaine leaned over like he was going to kiss Kurt but instead his hands were all over him.

"Blaine!" Kurt yelped falling backwards onto his back as Blaine tickled him.

"Yes?" Blaine joked while tickling his stomach.

Kurt struggled for a few moments, realizing it was useless. "I can't- I can't breathe!" Kurt said gasping for air in between his laugher.

Blaine stopped immediately and hovered inches over him. "You're too easy," he said grinning.

"Am I?" Kurt said lifting an eyebrow. He wrapped his leg around Blaine's back and flipped him over, tickling him hard.

"That's…not…fair!" Blaine laughed. Unlike Kurt, Blaine hardly struggled and Kurt took the opportunity to enjoy Blaine's laughter. Kurt finally stopped and looked down at Blaine, who was breathing hard and looking at him intently with his golden eyes.

"Why do you look at me like that?" Kurt asked. He didn't really know why he was asking, but Blaine always looked at him like he was trying to figure something out.

"I think…I think it's because I still can't believe you're real," he answered honestly.

Kurt blushed and tilted his head to the side slightly. "Well I am as real as they come," he said pushing back Blaine's dark curls. Kurt looked away for a moment, the thought of his conversation with Rachel suddenly coming to his mind.

"Is something wrong?" Blaine asked looking up at him.

Kurt brushed his hand against Blaine's hair one last time before sitting up. Blaine sat up too and sat next to Kurt, who had pulled his legs up to his chest. "Is the water bothering you? Because we can go inside…" Blaine offered.

"No…It's nothing to do with the ocean." He looked over at Blaine and saw he looked concerned. "It's really nothing actually. It's just…"

"What is it?"

"Do you think this summer will be the end of…us?" He asked openly.

Blaine looked at him confused. "Of course not. I want to be with you as long as we can."

Kurt felt embarrassed for asking. "I do too…I really don't know why I'm asking…It's stupid."

"It's not stupid. Nothing you ever say will be stupid. I get worried too sometimes, because this relationship thing is new for the both of us…But if there is anything I can promise you, it's that I'm going to fight for you no matter what happens."

Kurt already had tears in his eyes. "I think I should be the one questioning if you're real," he said quietly. "I just don't want this summer to end. I'm afraid of what's going to happen when I leave." Kurt was finally saying what he had been trying to think through after his talk with Rachel.

"Don't be," Blaine said rubbing his back. "Whatever happens, I want you to remember that I love you."

"And I love you ," he said effortlessly, because it was easy to tell Blaine he loved him. Because there wasn't any doubt that he didn't feel that connection to him. Because it was impossible not to look at him and know he was the one.

Kurt's eyes flickered to Blaine's lips and back up to his eyes. Blaine noticed and took Kurt's head in his hands and kiss him softly. Kurt relaxed and rested his hands on Blaine's shoulders. Blaine threaded his fingers into the back of Kurt's hair and pulled him closer as Kurt slipped his tongue inside his mouth.

It was quiet for a while, the only sound filling the summer air was their breathing and the smacking of lips when they would part.

The boys hardly noticed when another sound filled the air. From across the water, the fireworks started shooting off with bright colors and loud booms. Kurt finally pulled away and smiled, before resting his head on Blaine's shoulder. The music from the boardwalk had stopped playing, and it seemed like time had suddenly stopped. This was what everyone was waiting for.

"If I got up and ran away right now because I was afraid of the fireworks," Kurt whispered, "what would you do?"

"Probably find you, and tell you everything was going to be alright." He whispered back. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Kurt said. There really wasn't a reason. He just wanted to know that Blaine would be there for him no matter what crazy things he did.

Kurt smiled and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist as Blaine trailed his hand up and down his back.

"That one was nice," Kurt said as a firework exploded into a star.

"Mhm," Blaine agreed.

It was simple, and Kurt couldn't think of anything he would rather be doing right at that moment. Kurt and Blaine would point out which fireworks they liked and would "ooh" and "ahh" at the big ones.

Suddenly, the fireworks stopped, and Kurt thought the show was over.

"Wait," Blaine whispered. "It's just getting to the best part."

Kurt looked back up and dozens of fireworks shot up at once of all different colors and shapes. It was so loud, yet so beautiful. The only things filling the sky were clouds of smoke and sparkling lights of fire.

The fireworks ended and Kurt could hear clapping coming from the boardwalk. "I don't want it to be over," Kurt said.

"Let's make our own fireworks then," Blaine replied flirtatiously and started kissing his neck.

"Where do you come up with this stuff?" Kurt laughed.

"I'd like to think I'm clever."

"Blaine Anderson: the king of cheesy lines that make all fall into his arms."

Blaine took his phone out of his pocket and started playing a song. "Dance with me," he said standing up and holding out his hand.

Kurt lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Is this just another ploy to trap and tickle me again?" Kurt realized then he really didn't like being tickled that much, even though it wasn't that bad when Blaine would do it.

"Absolutely not, although that would have been a good idea," Blaine mused. Kurt stood up slowly and stepped back as Blaine held out his hands for Kurt to take. "I think, you should do as all do and fall into my arms," he said overdramatically, mimicking Kurt's words.

Kurt giggled and took Blaine's hands and was pulled in quickly, almost as if he was being forced to fall into Blaine's arms. The song changed as soon as they started dancing into something slower. Blaine pulled him close, his hand on Kurt's waist and Kurt's on Blaine's shoulder. They held each other's other hand, as if they were dancing formally.

Kurt was very familiar with the song playing:

**_We'll do it all_ **

**_Everything_ **

**_On our own,_ **

**_We don't need_ **

**_Anything_ **

**_Or anyone_ **

Blaine smiled and spun Kurt slowly before pulling him even closer.

**_If I lay here_ **

**_If I just lay here_ **

**_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_ **

It was harder to dance in the sand, sinking occasionally and laughing back into each other's arms.

**_I don't quite know_ **

**_How to say_ **

**_How I feel_ **

Blaine slid his hand lower and Kurt mistook it for another attempt at a tickle attack and started wiggling. Blaine laughed loudly and pulled Kurt back, taking his hand and his waist while dancing back and forth.

**_If I lay here_ **

**_If I just lay here_ **

**_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_ **

**_Forget what we're told_ **

**_Before we get too old_ **

**_Show me a garden that's bursting into life..._ **

**_Let's waste time_ **

**_Chasing cars_ **

**_Around our heads_ **

As the music slowed, Blaine pulled away and Kurt spun into his arms, sinking awkwardly and laughing hard. Blaine kissed the side of his neck before spinning him back out so they were facing each other.

**_If I lay here_ **

**_If I just lay here_ **

**_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_ **

**_Forget what we're told_ **

**_Before we get too old_ **

**_Show me a garden that's bursting into life._ **

Blaine lifted his hand off of Kurt's waist and caresses Kurt's cheek as they danced.

**_All that I am_ **

**_All that I ever was_ **

**_Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see_ **

Kurt closed the gap between them and kissed Blaine gently, wrapping his arms around Blaine's shoulders.

**_I don't know where_ **

**_Confused about how as well_ **

**_Just know that these things will never change for us at all_ **

Blaine surprised Kurt by picking him up by his waist and spinning him in a circle. Kurt threw his head back and laughed effortlessly.

Blaine placed Kurt back down and looked at him lovingly as the song ended.

**_If I lay here_ **

**_If I just lay here_ **

**_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_ **

"I would," Kurt whispered in reply to the lyrics of the song.

"We can, if you want to for a while," Blaine answered.

Kurt nodded took Blaine's hand after he picked up his phone and walked back to the house. They lay back on the sand in front of the back porch and looked at the stars while Kurt rested his head on Blaine's chest.

Kurt forgot about everything. He forgot about what Rachel said, about Blaine and his impending separation, and he forgot about all doubts. All he was certain about was Blaine, their love for each other, and how tonight was one of the best nights of his life.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did this chapter and little differently. The first part and last not in Kurt's POV. (It's like an all seeing narrator)

The week following the Fourth of July seemed to be the best of the summer in its entirety. The sun was out every day, the temperature never rose over 85 degrees, and Kurt and Blaine couldn't keep their hands off of each other.

Maybe it was the weather. Maybe there was something new in the water. Or maybe the reason they never kept more than a foot of space between each other was because they were two teenage boys with raging hormones, and the ability to act on them almost whenever they wanted, with no doubts or regrets included.

But for whatever reason (most likely the latter of all three) Kurt and Blaine were inseparable. Kurt was feeling better, Blaine seemed to be well again. No one hardly asked Kurt what he did when he would go out for multiple hours in the day, asking only when he would be home and where he would be going (which would only stay partially true).

The reason the boys had so much uncensored time together was that Burt had to take an emergency trip to the shop, which he had left with a trusted employee. Finn went with Burt back to Lima so he could visit Rachel, who was moving to New York in only a few weeks.

Kurt was asked if he wanted to go, but decided to stay in Ocean City with Carole and Aunt Annie. Carole also was extremely busy, trying to get medications and different forms of care for Aunt Annie, who was getting much worse. It wasn't just the Alzheimer's anymore, but she was having problems with her heart and she was becoming incredibly depressed, which was hard to watch her go through. Carole understood that it may be hard for Kurt to watch the older woman go through such pain, and allowed him out of the house with barely any questions asked.

It all started the day after the Fourth of July, when Kurt and Blaine went on another date to the meadow. Well, they almost made it to the meadow. Instead their date consisted of Blaine pulling off onto a dirt road and jerking Kurt off in the back seat, and Kurt returning the favor. It all started because Kurt had been feeling much more confident about himself these days, and said some things that Blaine could just not ignore until they made it to their destination. It was meant to be a short make out session, yet ended up becoming an hour and a half of steaming up the windows of Blaine's black Escalade.

From then on, whenever they would see each other it would become hard to keep conversation. Carole left the house empty on Friday, which the boys took immense pleasure by taking advantage of. Most of what they did was explore and learn about each other's bodies, lazily kissing and enjoying each other's company, until a hand would wander too far south of the equator and prompt the boys to do much more than that.

Then Saturday rolled around and it was more of the same, Kurt and Blaine finding a place to be alone, hands fumbling with belts and shirt hems, and kisses across necks and collarbones. Yet it never went farther than anything they had previously done, not even becoming totally unclothed in front of one another yet.

As Sunday rolled around both boys knew it would be their last full day together before Blaine had to begin his job again as a lifeguard for the week, so they decided they would make the most of it.

* * *

_Week 7 Day 2_

Kurt was lying out on the front porch chair swing enjoying the morning, knowing that Blaine wouldn't be calling him for a few hours because of Sunday church. He almost jumped off the swing when his phone vibrated with a new text.

Blaine (9:45 am)

_You should come over ;) I'm skipping church today._

Kurt (9:47)

_Your house? But what about your grandmother?_

Kurt had never been to Blaine's house, mostly because his grandmother never left Blaine home alone.

Blaine (9:48)

_She won't be home for hours, and I have the place all to myself._

Kurt (9:49)

_What did you have to tell her to get out of it?_

Blaine (9:51)

_The more questions you ask the less time we have...And I've been thinking about you for hours…_

Kurt blushed and started to reply when another text came in from Blaine.

Blaine (9:52)

_Thinking about what I want to do to you…_

Blaine (9:52)

_For hours…_

Blaine (9:53)

_You know what we could do alone for hours, Kurt?_

Kurt's phone kept buzzing but he didn't take the time to look at the new texts from Blaine, already having told Carole he was leaving and taking his bike.

He arrived about ten minutes later in Blaine's front yard, his car still in the driveway but his grandmother's small, silver car gone. Kurt hopped off his bike and pulled it up next to Blaine's house and set his bike behind a bush, just in case he had to make a quick getaway.

He walked over to where Blaine had shown him his room was the day he was sick. He peered in the window and noticed Blaine was in his room. Blaine was laying on his bed throwing a ball up and catching it as it came back down, the phone Kurt had bought him for his birthday laying on his stomach.

Kurt knocked on the window and waved to get Blaine's attention. Blaine looked up and smiled as soon as he noticed it was Kurt. He got up quickly and opened the window, kissing Kurt hard on the mouth from inside his room, finally stopping to allow Kurt in.

Kurt had a little trouble getting in the window, although it was only a few feet off the ground. Once in Blaine's room he noticed that the room was incredibly tidy. Not one thing was out of place. His clothes were all neatly folded, his desk table clean and his desk drawers labeled with different school subjects. Kurt didn't really expect much different, he did have to live in the room for a majority of two years.

"I've missed you," Blaine said walking up to Kurt and sliding his arms around his waist.

"But you just saw me yesterday," Kurt said as Blaine began kissing his neck. "You couldn't possibly have missed me that much."

"Oh, but I did...very much..." Blaine walked Kurt over to his bed, which was navy blue and led Kurt to believe Blaine had an OCD problem with pillows. They laid down on the bed together, Blaine trying his best to keep his lips attached to Kurt's neck.

"Maybe we should do something different today," Kurt said, not being extremely convincing.

"Why do you say that?" Blaine asked in between kisses.

"We could try bowling again. You liked that right?"

"Not as much as I like this," Blaine murmured. "Is there something wrong with this?" Blaine asked as he started kissing Kurt's jaw line.

"No, just thought maybe we could do something productive today…save this for last."

Blaine gave one last kiss to Kurt's cheek and sat up. "Well, there is really nothing in the house for us to do. I mean, the only thing other than this…" He motioned to the bed. "…would probably be, like, baking a cake."

Kurt thought it over for a few seconds. "I'll get the mix," he said jumping off the bed.

"I was kidding!" Blaine yelled playfully back to Kurt, who was already out in the kitchen.

The kitchen was small, so small that it looked like there was hardly enough room for two people to fit in it. Kurt noticed that the baking supplies weren't so up-to-date, and his grandmother didn't have any cake mix, only flour and things used to make it from scratch. Gladly, Kurt had made a cake from scratch before.

Blaine stood outside the kitchen and waited as Kurt found the ingredients. Every so often Kurt would glance at Blaine and notice him staring, making Kurt blush even after all this time, because he still was unable to believe that somebody actually wanted  _him._

"Let me get the bowls," Blaine said trying to make his way in between the counters. He washed off a few bowls and mixing utensils, giving them to Kurt to pour the ingredients in.

"I want to make a marble cake," Kurt said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Anything you want is perfectly fine." Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's stomach and rested his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Hmm…" He pretended to be thinking of things for Blaine to do. "First, I want you to kiss me," Kurt said happily, turning around to face Blaine.

"I can definitely do that," Blaine said obliging his request.

"And now I want you to add some flour into the bowl." Nodding his head toward the bowl right next to him.

"Just that bowl?"

"Just that bowl."

"Are you sure you want flour, just in that bowl?"

"Of course just that bowl. Where else would you put—hey!" Kurt was caught off guard because Blaine had taken some of the flour of the bag with his hand and dashed it on Kurt's nose.

"Kurt, you have something on your nose," Blaine said, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.

"I don't know…it looks more like you do," Kurt said, taking the flour and doing the same to Blaine's face.

Blaine grinned and took a handful of flour and sprinkled it on Kurt's head. "I didn't know it could snow in July," he chuckled.

Kurt narrowed his eyes and took a handful of the white powder. "If it's a war you want Blaine Anderson…" He tossed the flour onto the other boy's face. "…it is a war you have begun."

Blaine cleared his eyes with his hands and smirked at Kurt. Kurt knew what was coming but couldn't move fast enough before Blaine trapped him and started tickling his stomach and sides. Kurt couldn't get away because he was on the wrong side of the kitchen, and Blaine was blocking the only exit.

"Blaine!" He laughed, struggling to get out of Blaine's grasp.

"I thought you said it was war?"

"I didn't mean it!"

"You didn't?"

"Well…I did. But this is cheating!"

"I'd like to call it being resourceful," Blaine joked.

Kurt took the bag of flour and flung as much as he could at Blaine.

Blaine let go of him, "You want to play dirty? Okay then." He grabbed the bowl of melted chocolate and flicked the spoon at Kurt, which sent chocolate flying in all directions and made Kurt's face striped with chocolate sauce. "Kurt…I'm sorry—"

Kurt froze for a moment, stunned at what Blaine had done. He decided to act quickly, looking around for something he could use. The only thing he saw was the carton of eggs so he quickly took one out and cracked it, just enough so the contents of the egg didn't come out. He held it over Blaine's head and both boys froze, staring intently at each other.

"You wouldn't." Blaine said darkly.

"You got chocolate on my new Louis Vuitton jacket. I have a great motive."

Blaine looked up at the egg and then back into Kurt's eyes. "Would you believe me if I told you I am allergic to eggs?"

"Are you?"

"No."

"Then no. I wouldn't."

Blaine smiled and Kurt couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous they both sounded and looked. Blaine had white powder all over him and Kurt had white hair and chocolate all over himself.

Blaine pulled himself in close to Kurt, who was putting down the egg slowly. "If I call a truce…may I lick the chocolate off your lips that is mocking me so?" His voice getting lower.

"But doesn't a truce mean we both forfeit? I am definitely the clear winner." The tension between them melting away and eyes flickering to each other's lips.

"Yes, Kurt. You win. You'll always win." Kurt dropped the egg and Blaine pulled Kurt into his arms, kissing him feverishly. Kurt's fingers threaded through his hair as Blaine's hands roamed around Kurt's body, leaving white streaks wherever they went.

Both boys were kissing each other hard and passionately, neither one ever having dominance until Blaine slid his hands under Kurt and lifted him onto the counter. Kurt moved everything he could off before sitting down and wrapping his legs around Blaine's back, allowing Blaine to trail his lips and hands wherever they pleased.

Blaine started moving down Kurt's jaw, sucking the chocolate off as he went. "You should be covered in chocolate more often," he breathed into his neck.

Kurt tilted his head back and allowed Blaine more space, everything happening so quickly. Blaine started sucking harder and Kurt's breathing picked up, things becoming much too hot for the tiny kitchen. " _Blaine,_ " he hummed.

Blaine moved back so they were kissing on the lips again, both breathing heavily and hearts racing. Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's shoulders and kissed him even harder, with teeth clashing and tongues colliding.

"We…should…clean…shower…you…" Blaine murmured, trying to make coherent words when their mouths would separate for air.

"Shower?" Was all Kurt could get out.

"I want to give you your prize for winning…" Blaine said pulling back and looking at Kurt questioningly, lips swollen and hair sticking up in all directions.

Kurt nodded and Blaine started kissing him again before moving his hands under his thighs. Kurt held on as Blaine picked him up off the counter and started moving toward the only bathroom of the house other than Blaine's grandmother's. Blaine wasn't looking where they were going, and eventually rammed them into the wall beside the bathroom door. "Missed it by that much," Kurt muttered.

"Sorry," Blaine whispered and opened the door, still holding Kurt. He closed the door and pressed Kurt against it, locking it before starting at Kurt's jacket, taking it off easily. Kurt didn't even hesitate before lifting his arms and allowing Blaine to take off the white shirt he had on underneath. "Yours too," Kurt murmured against Blaine's lips.

Blaine started pulling at his striped t-shirt and Kurt help him pull it off, powder from the shirt flying everywhere.

Kurt didn't even know what was happening around him, so lost in the moment and so incredibly turned on by it all that he didn't even notice Blaine turn on the shower. He just knew that Blaine was gone and he wanted him back.

" _Blaine,_ " Kurt whimpered softly.

"I'm here," Blaine said coming back and unbuckling Kurt's belt, the air in the bathroom becoming steamy and incredibly hot.

Kurt stepped out of his jeans and worked to unbutton Blaine's before the water got cold. "What's my prize?" He knew the answer, he just wanted to hear it on Blaine's lips.

"I'm going to blow you," he whispered into Kurt's ear.

Kurt moaned into Blaine neck, incredibly hard and incredibly wanting. "What else?" Kurt was trying his best to be sexy, which had been working on Blaine for the past few days. "What are you going to make me do?"

"Say my name...I'm going to make you say my name when you come."

" _Nnngh,_ " was all Kurt could get out of his mouth before Blaine pulled off his own pants and underwear at once. Before they moved into the shower, Blaine toyed with the waistband of Kurt's boxer-briefs. "You ready?" Blaine asked. Although this time he was genuinely making sure Kurt was ready, since they had never done this before.

Kurt nodded and Blaine pulled down the last thing standing between them. Taking his hand, Blaine pulled Kurt into the shower and pressed him up against the cold tile wall. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders so their bare chests were flush against each other and their cocks rubbing together. Kurt moaned loudly, almost losing it right then and there.

The warm water washed away any flour or chocolate that was left on their bodies, giving another reason to be in the shower in the first place (even though it was an incredibly weak reason). The sound of the shower filled the air and drowned out most of the sounds they were making, yet not all.

Blaine finally started making his way down Kurt's abdomen, lightly trailing his lips across his chest and stomach. Once he made it onto his knees, Blaine kissed the inside of Kurt's thigh and looked up at him through his thick eyelashes, asking for one last time if he was ready. Kurt nodded quickly, glad that Blaine still took the time to make sure everything they did was what Kurt wanted, because that was who Blaine was.

Kurt closed his eyes and tilted his head back as Blaine experimentally licked a line up the length of his cock. Kurt's toes curled and Blaine held his hips tightly to keep him still.

Finally, Blaine took all of Kurt into his mouth at once and started bobbing slowly. " _Oh god_ ," Kurt moaned, echoing throughout the shower. "Don't stop," he breathed.

Stopping was far from what Blaine was doing. He started sucking harder and faster, moaning whenever Kurt would whimper his name.

Kurt knew he couldn't hold on much longer and started pulling at Blaine's hair. "Blaine- Blaine I'm gonna-" he said quickly, trying to warn Blaine to pull off. But Blaine didn't stop. Instead he took Kurt in even deeper and quickened his pace.

" _Fuck. Blaine,_ " he said somewhere between a whimper and a moan as he came hard down Blaine's throat. He was having trouble staying upright, his eyes blacking out from the intense orgasm, the strongest he had ever had.

Before he knew it, Blaine was back up on his feet and supporting him up. "You're so beautiful," Blaine whispered, staring into his eyes and then kissing his collarbone.

Kurt slid his hand down between them and wrapped it around Blaine's still hardened cock. Blaine groaned and pressed his forehead into the crook of Kurt's neck as Kurt finished him off. It only took a few strokes from Kurt to make Blaine come, incoherent words eliciting from his mouth.

The boys kissed for a few more minutes under the running water until it finally started getting cold.

"We have to get out now," Kurt said, not really with any force in his words.

"Don't want to." They started kissing again until Kurt tried pulling away.

"We're going to get pruney."

"Don't care," Blaine muttered.

"Even if I said we will never be baking cakes again?"

"It depends. Is baking cakes code for sex?"

"Maybe, do you not like baking cakes with me?"

"I love baking cakes with you, and we should definitely do it more often."

* * *

They both eventually left the bathroom with towels around their hips and their clothes piled up in their arms. They hurried into Blaine's room, trying their best to not get the entire house wet.

"I find it disturbing that we can't even make a cake," Kurt said, laying his clothes down on a chair. "We should never be asked to do anything productive ever and—Blaine…"

Blaine had come up behind Kurt and wrapped his arms around Kurt's shirtless stomach. "Hmm?" He asked gently, pressing his lips in-between Kurt's shoulder blades. Kurt could tell Blaine's towel was gone.

"We have to clean up that kitchen…your grandmother…" he trailed off, knowing it was useless. "How much time do we have?"

"Plenty," Blaine answered softly. Kurt smiled widely and turned around, keeping his towel from falling to the ground. He rested his arms on Blaine's shoulder and twirled his finger around a wet curl sticking out from his hair. "Convince me," Kurt hummed.

"Convince you of what?"

"Why I should let you have your way with me for the second time in one morning."

"Okay..." He paused and thought for a moment, the smile falling from his face, looking as if he was trying to create a speech in his head. "First off, I love you."

"Good point, yet I'm still not convinced." He said playfully.

"I have many more don't you worry." He thought for a few moments and then added, "Second, I want to be with you forever."

"Forever is a very long time."

"Not really. Depends on how long your forever is."

"And how long is your forever?" Kurt asked.

Blaine hesitated and looked as if he was searching his mind for the answer. He took a deep breath and began: "Kurt Hummel…"

"You're not asking me to marry you, are you?" Blaine looked at Kurt puzzled. "I mean, not that I—we're really young…and naked…but if you're asking I—"

Blaine put his finger to Kurt's lips. "Shh…" Kurt nodded and let Blaine proceed. "Kurt Hummel, I will go to New York with you, if you would be so kind as to allow me."

"You…You're going to come to New York? With me?" Excitement and disbelief building up as his whole heart felt like it would burst out of his chest. "But, how are you going to?"

"Whatever it takes. I want to spend the rest of my forever with you. Having days like these every single day. Baking cakes and going out and holding hands with you and just not caring. I'll leave. I'll find a way."

"Rest of your forever… I really like the sound of that," Kurt said, smiling from ear to ear and heart beating so fast that he could no longer stay still. He dropped his towel and started kissing Blaine so quickly that Blaine lost his footing, landing them both right on the bed. Both boys were laughing and smiling and Kurt didn't know how life could get much better.

"I love you," Kurt said as Blaine hovered over him. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Blaine said after giving Kurt a long kiss. "I'm glad I'm such a good convincer," he laughed.

"I was about to give in, you know. I just like it when you tell me nice things."

"Oh, is that all?" Blaine teased, quickly trailing his fingers up the side of Kurt's waist. Kurt reacted quickly and grabbed Blaine's wrist. "Try anything and I'll get up right now and leave you for the cake."

"But a cake can't do this," Blaine said, starting to kiss Kurt's neck.

"Yes, but a cake can't tickle me either."

"Go and bake your cake then. I'm pretty sure it will all end the same. Take the last time you tried for example."

"You have too much confidence in yourself Mr. Anderson."

Blaine didn't stop sucking on his neck. "Can't stop…it's your…only weakness…"

"My only weakness?"

"Hmm…I guess I know a few more…shall I try them now?" Blaine asked rhetorically, suddenly moving his hand down and—

" _Ohmygod_! Blaine!" Was all Kurt could let out before Blaine silenced him with his own lips.

* * *

And for a few days more it stayed like this, two young adults happy and perfectly in love. Kurt would meet Blaine at the ice cream shop every night after his shift to share a banana split on the roof, so they couldn't been seen by anyone. Kurt already started planning what he and Blaine would do once they got to New York, also trying to find a way to tell Rachel they were adding another member to their apartment.

It's not that Kurt was blind to the things happening right before his eyes, he noticed them, but told himself he was just seeing things. The truth be told, he wasn't. Everyday Blaine was getting paler, and his eyes were losing the light they once had in them. What Kurt didn't know, was that it was happening the whole summer, and even before then. What he also didn't know was that Blaine was making promises, promises he knew he couldn't keep.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the next few are pretty heavy. There is only ONE character death, and as I said at the beginning it is a minor character. ~Rachel

_Week 7 Day 7_

It was Friday, July 13 and Kurt was on his way to the boardwalk to meet Blaine at  _Susie's_ for ice cream. It was getting dark now, the moon starting to become visible over the ocean. It was a little over halfway through the summer, and Kurt was in nothing less than pure bliss.

He and Blaine had spent the majority of their spare time together, which wasn't a lot due to the fact Blaine had started work again and was sleeping in so late. Kurt didn't mind though, whatever time he had with Blaine was good enough for him.

Burt and Finn had come back that week, telling Carole and Kurt about all the news coming from Lima (which wasn't much). Kurt was glad he didn't see himself going back there anytime soon.

Earlier that day he had called Rachel to start talking about New York plan (mostly how they now involved Blaine) but she hadn't answered. He left a message telling her he had something important they had to talk about. Kurt couldn't wait for New York with Blaine, his heart fluttering whenever he thought about it.

He walked into the ice cream shop and looked around for Blaine, who was usually sitting at the counter waiting for him with their ice cream so they could move up to the roof. But today, Blaine wasn't the first one there.

Kurt didn't think anything of it, so he walked over to the counter and sat down to wait.

"Would you like anything while you wait, Kurt?" Ms. Susie asked after she served the girl next to him her ice cream.

"No, I'll just wait for Blaine to get here," he answered smiling.

Ms. Susie smiled back and left Kurt to get something in the back of the shop.

"So, you're waiting for Blaine?" The girl next to him asked. Kurt was caught off guard for a moment, because not many people knew Blaine, or outright asked him what he was doing.

Once he got a better look at the light blonde haired girl, he realized it was Jessica, the lifeguard he had met when Blaine was sick.

"Jessica?" He asked, just making sure he was correct.

She squinted her eyes and looked at him puzzled, probably thrown off guard that he knew her name.

"Oh my gosh…you're the guy who was looking for Blaine that one day…you're Blaine's friend." Kurt was surprised that she even remembered. They had talked for three minutes.

"You could say that," Kurt said, trying not to smirk at the way they were no longer 'just friends'.

"It's great to see you again," she said a little over enthusiastically. "I never got your name though."

"You too, and it's Kurt," he said. They had only shared a few words the last time they met, so she was just being overly polite in Kurt's eyes.

"I only know Blaine from church. Where do you know him from?" She asked.

"I met him one day on the beach…" he answered, wondering why this girl had such an interest in Blaine.

She must have noticed his questioning expression. "Oh, it's just, all of us at church really want Blaine to have friends. He's always so quiet all the time…I mean, he talks to me sometimes...hasn't asked me out yet…don't know why," she muttered.

Kurt almost burst out into laughter, because he knew exactly why. He actually got a taste of exactly why yesterday…

"I'm glad he has at least one good friend," she said sweetly.

"Yeah, we're  _really_ good friends." He smiled at the girl.

Blaine must have had a great time at this church, if all the girls were as nutty as Jessica. He almost laughed at the thought of Blaine being ambushed by head over heels girls.

"Have you seen Blaine perform at church yet?" She asked.

"No...he's never even told me he performs…"

Her smile faded. "Oh, well you should totally come this weekend. I think Blaine is singing another song. I love it when he sings, his voice is so perfect." It really seemed like this girl had a bad crush on  _his_ boyfriend. "My parents are usually the ones that donate the most money to help with his hospice care."

The word rang in Kurt's ear. Had he heard her wrong? "Hospice care? Isn't that like, end of life care?"

The girl nodded, taking a bite from her ice cream before continuing. "The church helps donate to his family, so he can get medication to stay out of pain, you know, since his treatment stopped working a few months ago. He's the youth groups service project, we raise money for him."

Kurt wasn't understanding, yet his face started turning pale and his hands started turning cold.

"I don't know what it must be like for you. I would be terrified if my best friend had leukemia…But I really just want to help Blaine through it, it must be so hard for him to know he's dying and—"

"Please stop talking," he whispered, cutting her off.

Kurt didn't know what he was hearing. It all just sounded like incoherent noises coming out of the girl's mouth. Was she speaking in a different language? Blaine didn't have leukemia. He wasn't sick.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I-I…Blaine…He has what?"

Her face fell. "Wait, did you not know?"

Kurt could feel his heartbeat picking up. He didn't know. Didn't know what? Blaine didn't have cancer. What was happening? Was he dreaming again? The bad dreams were supposed to be over.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry."

"He's dying?" he finally choked out.

The girl brought her hands up and covered her mouth. "I am so, so sorry. I didn't know." She picked up her purse and ice cream. "I think he should have told you though, you had the right to know," she said before leaving the ice cream shop.

Kurt's heart felt like it stopped. Time felt like it stopped. He sat at the counter, mouth dropped open and eyes glazed over, like he was frozen in that state.

"Kurt…Kurt…" He looked over and saw Susie behind the counter trying to snap him out of his gaze.

"Blaine…he-he has can-" He wouldn't allow himself to say it. He was dreaming. He must have been dreaming.

"What's wrong, Kurt?" She asked concerned.

"He's sick…" He was sick. How was he sick?

"Is he not coming today? Well tell him to get better."

He looked at her, and she noticed the tears forming in his eyes. "Oh no," she whispered. "Kurt…I'm sorry."

So she knew too? Did everyone in this city know but him? "I have to go find Blaine." He stood up and walked straight out the door of the shop. Tears already started to fall from his eyes, but he couldn't even feel them. He couldn't feel anything, he felt numb, and a part of him already feeling betrayed.

He took out his phone and dialed Blaine's number, hoping that everyone was just making up a story. He had to hear it from Blaine.

"Hello? Kurt?" Said Blaine's voice from the other line.

"Where are you?" He asked, trying to keep the tears from falling faster.

"I'm still at the lifeguard stand. I'm sorry I'm running late I'll be there in a few minutes. You can order the banana split now if you're waiting. Just make sure you get two cherries and extra—"

"I'm not at the ice cream shop," he cut him off. "I need you to meet me at Aunt Annie's, I'll be in the front yard."

"Okay, I have to run home first to change. But I'll be right there."

"Okay," his voice was shaking.

"Kurt, is there something wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I just need to see you." He needed to hear it from him.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you."

He hung up without saying one more word and squeezed his eyes shut as he walked. What was happening?

* * *

Kurt sat quietly on the step of his front porch of Aunt Annie's house waiting for Blaine to arrive. He wouldn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. But why would that girl lie to him? There must have been something more to it, Blaine wouldn't just keep something like that from him. Would he?

He kept thinking of all the things Blaine told him. " _I'll be here for you_ ," he had said. He had said he would go to New York with him. He had said he loved him. Why would he have said that if he knew he only had a short time left?

Kurt buried his face into his hands, unable to comprehend all the thoughts running through his head. He couldn't help the tears that started falling down his cheeks, because he knew. He knew there was always something more, something that Blaine wasn't telling him. Because he knew Blaine was sick and wouldn't allow himself to accept it.

It was totally dark now, and the air was the coldest it had been all summer. The breeze made Kurt shiver, and the tears even hotter. The longer it took for Blaine to arrive, the more upset Kurt was beginning to get.

Because he lied. Blaine had lied to him. He wasn't just keeping his sickness from him, but he told Kurt things that were not and never going to be true.

Blaine's car finally pulled into the driveway, and Kurt clenched his fists. He took a deep breath and decided to wait, wait until he heard why Blaine had kept something so important from him.

Blaine ran up the driveway and stopped once he saw Kurt was crying. "Kurt, is everything alright? What's wrong?" He said, rushing up to be at Kurt's side.

"Stop," Kurt said, looking up into Blaine's eyes and then looking away immediately, unable to even look at him the same.

"What happened? Please tell me what's wrong." He said concerned. What's wrong? Everything was wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt deadpanned.

"Tell you what—"

"Tell me that you're dying?" He forced out, voice already cracking.

Kurt looked up at Blaine and saw that his eyes were wide and his mouth dropped open, trying to form words. The silence let Kurt know that it was true. It was all true.

"So it's true?" he asked. "Were you ever planning on telling me?"

"Kurt I—" he started, walking up to Kurt and trying put his hand on his arm.

"Don't touch me!" Kurt spat, pushing Blaine's arm away and walking into the yard.

Kurt felt betrayed and lied to. Everything Blaine had told him, every promise he had ever made about being there for him, was a deliberate lie. He told him that he would go to New York, he told him they had forever.

All lies.

Kurt started thinking back to all the conversations, all the times Blaine said something that was questionable but Kurt just let it go. He thought back and started noticing every slip up and every time he almost gave it away. Even the first day, when he said that he couldn't go to college, it was only because he wouldn't live to go to college.

Another lie.

"Who told you?" Blaine said, turning and following Kurt.

"Why does it matter who told me? All that matters is that it wasn't you." Kurt's heart was racing and his mind was filling with memories, memories of all the lies.

"Please don't make this bigger than it already is, Kurt."

"Bigger than it already is? Bigger than everything you've ever told me being a lie?"

"It wasn't all a lie—"

"Like everything you've been telling your grandmother wasn't a lie?"

"Kurt…I never lied to her…"

"What are you talking about? You lied to her about us…"

Blaine closed him eyes."She knows, Kurt," he said softly, opening them again. "She's always known." Blaine's eyes stayed emotionless.

Blaine's grandmother had known about them all along? But he had said they couldn't be in public together because she could find out.

Another lie.

"Wha—how? I don't understand." Kurt's voice had suddenly become quiet and disbelieving.

"That day you came to my house while I was sick—she gave me a choice. I chose you."

"But you told me—you told me she could never find out…that she didn't know. Why? What did that accomplish?" His voice was quiet and small. "And-and all those days you were sick. And you said you didn't know what was wrong with you. But you did know…"

Another lie.

"Please just…wait until tomorrow and I'll tell you everything," Blaine pleaded.

"No," Kurt said crying. "Please tell me. Please just tell me why." Kurt thought that if maybe he knew why it would all make sense

"Kurt…"

Kurt was visibly shaking, trying to figure out what he could do to make it all go away. "How long have you known…that you've had—" he couldn't even say it. He tried again. "That you've had—"

"Leukemia," Blaine finished. Kurt nodded gasped for more air, thinking that he was running out of it. Blaine took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "A few months. I've known for a few months that it was over."

"Before me?"

"Yes, I knew back in April. It was me. I decided to end it. I stopped the treatment."

"Why? Why would you stop the only thing keeping you alive?" Blaine didn't answer him. "It couldn't have been that bad—"

"Like you could understand!" Blaine snapped and Kurt jumped, surprised but his sudden burst. "It was so hard…the constant pain and the knowledge that no one even cared if I was alive. I was on and off chemo for months and I just couldn't take it anymore. It was just too hard to keep fighting."

"How could you just have given up?" Blaine was supposed to be the strong one. He had always been the strong one, or at least pretending he could be. He told Kurt to be strong, and now he wasn't even being strong himself.

Another lie.

So many lies. Kurt couldn't take all the lies.

"Why fight when there is nothing to fight for?" Blaine said.

"So that's it? You just stopped trying to get better?"

"That's all there was left to do. They told me I would have until October without treatment at the most. It was actually a relief. I was finally being honest with myself—"

"No Blaine, that's called being a coward." Kurt didn't know why he said it. He was just so hurt, and Blaine almost seemed like he didn't care.

"I'm sorry, Kurt."

"Why did you do it?" Kurt asked, his voice turning cold. He didn't want to become angry, but something inside him was making him snap.

"Because I was afraid…" His voice cracked, the first time he actually showed any emotion. "You're right, Kurt, I am a coward. I'm weak, and I'm selfish…" Kurt choked back a sob as Blaine spoke. "It's just, you almost died that night at the pier, when you almost drowned, and I couldn't bring myself to see you in anymore pain."

"But you let me fall in love with you, Blaine. You must have known what you were doing to me. You must have known that eventually you would have to hurt me."

"I didn't want this. I didn't want to hurt you." He said, tears in his eyes. "I tried, Kurt. I went back and tried to find a way to get better again. They told me there was nothing they could do. It was too late to try again."

Kurt started crying harder, which then turned to full out sobbing. His heart broken and his whole world was crashing down on him.

"I'm trying to fight it. I don't want to leave you. I have you to fight for now…"

He needed more answers. He felt like Blaine wasn't telling him everything. "Why didn't you just tell me that night? The night we first kissed?" Kurt asked, barely audible.

"I just couldn't…"

"So you decided to make it all up? All that about your parents…was that all another lie?"

"No, I almost wish it was…And I wish I could just take it all back. I didn't know that it would become this…That I would fall in love with you so fast."

"Why did you tell me you would go to New York?" Kurt couldn't stop. He couldn't stop the questions.

"I—I don't know why…I couldn't bring myself to let it end. So I just…" Blaine started getting frantic as Kurt started to walk back toward the house. "I can get better, Kurt! Please let me try. There must be something that can help me. Like some experimental treatment in Switzerland or something…I don't want to lose you."

"You're delusional if you think you haven't lost me." And for a second, he meant it. He was just so hurt that the thought of seeing Blaine again was too much."I want you to leave," he finally said, he just couldn't take it anymore, and his tears falling faster than ever.

"Please." Blaine begged. "I have so much more to explain. It's not as bad as it seems."

"I can't do this!" Kurt shouted. It was like Blaine wasn't even admitting that he had done something wrong. "I want it to be the Fourth of July again. I want you to be okay again," he sobbed. "But you're not! You are going to die, Blaine!"

"You act like I don't know that! Like I didn't go through it all. I was the one who lost my hair, I had the surgeries, I went through the chemotherapy and radiation. But it still came back! And it's my punishment! My punishment for not being normal, for not loving who I'm supposed to love."

"Everything would have been different if you just told me…" he whispered.

"So that night? If I had told you I was sick, you wouldn't have kissed me? You would have walked away right there?"

"It's not that you're sick Blaine! It's that you lied to me! Everything was a lie!" Kurt couldn't look at Blaine anymore. He wasn't the same person. He was sick. He was a liar. And Kurt didn't know if he could forgive him.

"Do you even realize you're breaking my heart?" Kurt choked. "And it seems like you don't even care. I cared so much about you, Blaine. And I thought you were going to care about me."

"I do care about you…"

"I thought I had all the time in the world left with you. And now, I feel like I have no time left at all. Everything could have been so much different…I would have still been there for you."

"I know that now. And that's why I'll never deserve you…" Blaine whispered.

Kurt finally broke. Sobs raking through his body and falling to his knees, unable to support his weight any longer. He held his face in his hands and just cried. Why did this have to be happening so fast? It was probably because he had allowed himself to fall in love with someone he hardly knew.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked softly, once Kurt had settled down enough to talk again.

"Yes Blaine?"

"I'll never stop loving you."

Kurt looked up at him, tears in his eyes and the greatest pain he had ever felt in his chest. He was angry, and he was hurt, and he couldn't find it in his broken heart to tell Blaine how he really felt. But most of all, he just wanted to tell Blaine he still loved him. He didn't want this to be goodbye.

"Please go," Kurt finally said.

Blaine nodded. "I'm just so sorry," he whispered before walking back to his car. Just like that. No more words were spoken, no more pleads were answered.

Kurt stood up and walked back to the porch, sat on the step, and watched Blaine drive away.

Kurt felt sick to his stomach, knowing that it might be over. But there were so many lies, so many meaningless promises, so many useless 'I love you's.

But were they really all useless? Were all those moments in each other's arms, all the kisses, all the smiles, just, worthless?

Kurt couldn't stop crying. It was like everything that had happened this summer meant nothing. The person he loved was going to die.

But was it better to give up now? Was it better to just forget Blaine and move on? Should he put himself through more pain?

There was only one thing Kurt knew for certain: Blaine would have done that for him.

"Why can't I save you?" Kurt whispered into emptiness, a face stained with tears and a heart broken beyond repair. Everything Kurt dreamed for had died that night, all except for Blaine himself. But even that wasn't really too far off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small trigger warning: A story about child abuse.

_Week 8 Day 1_

That morning Kurt wouldn't allow himself to wake up. He knew it was morning, and he knew his parents had called for him at least three times, but he also knew that if he opened his eyes, he would have to accept that what happened the night before was not just a dream, and he would still have to live through the pain.

The pain of knowing Blaine was going to die.

He hadn't told anyone yet, nor did he plan on telling anyone for a while. He couldn't even tell himself what happened if he tried. So for now, he needed to go through his heartache alone, and he needed to figure out what he would do about he and Blaine. From the looks of things, it was over.

However long Kurt wanted to stay in his safe, warm bed away from all the hurt, it was finally interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"Dude, breakfast is ready," Finn called from outside the door.

Kurt opened his eyes, already wet with tears, and pulled the pillow he was holding closer to himself. "Just…tell them I'm not feeling well…" Kurt answered back, voice hoarse.

"Are you sure? Aunt Annie is feeling well enough to have breakfast with us this morning. I think it would mean a lot to her…"

Aunt Annie hadn't been with whole family together in weeks. She had been practically bedridden and Kurt hadn't spoken more than few words to her since the Fourth of July, because he had always been with Blaine.

"I'll be down in a few minutes," he finally said. Kurt knew he couldn't let more of the people he loved slip through his fingers. He only had a short time left with Aunt Annie too.

After he knew Finn was gone he buried his head into the pillow and started to cry. He was trying so hard to forget about everything, he wanted to forget everything. But the memories of Blaine, and what used to be, kept filling up his mind. He was pretty sure he dreamed about Blaine, because one of the times he woke up during the night he shouted his name, tears in his eyes.

He cried even harder when he thought about the fight. How angry he was that Blaine, the person he trusted the most and had fallen in love with, lied to him about something as important as how much longer he had to live.

He didn't understand it. He didn't understand anything. He didn't understand what had happened to his perfect summer, to his perfect boyfriend, to his perfect future waking up next to Blaine every morning in New York. It wasn't fair. He'd lost his mother, he knew he was going to lose Aunt Annie, but it never even crossed his mind he could also lose Blaine.

"It's just not fair!" He cried, the sound being muffled by the pillow. "You were supposed to be with me…you were supposed to love me…"

When he finally felt like he couldn't cry anymore he rolled out of bed and splashed his face with water in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror at his swollen eyes and decided what he wanted to do.

"I want to go back to Lima," Kurt said a few minutes after he sat down at the breakfast table, everyone had already greeted him and asked if he was alright, which he obviously wasn't.

They all looked at him in surprise and Burt almost choked on his food. "What?"

"I said, I want to go back to—"

"I know what you said but, why? I thought you were having a great time with your boyfriend," Burt said.

Kurt looked away from his father, trying his hardest not to think too much about Blaine. "You said you would take me home if it became too hard for me to live here. And it has." He said grimly.

"Did something happen between you two?" His father asked. Kurt looked down, trying to think of anything that would keep himself from crying. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Burt," Carole interrupted, noticing Kurt's distress. "If something did happen I'm sure he wouldn't want to tell us all at once. It's probably personal."

"Yes, but if I'm going to take him all the way back to Ohio for the rest the summer then I should at least know why."

"I heard yelling coming from outside last night," Finn chimed in. "I think they were fighting."

"Well if that Blaine kid did anything bad enough to make Kurt want to leave then he's going to regret it…"

"Burt…"

Kurt watched as all of his family talked about him as if he wasn't even in the room. Every time he tried to say something someone would cut him off. He looked up as saw that Aunt Annie was staring at him from across the table, a worried look on her face. Kurt realized then that she must have known why.

Kurt clenched his jaw and buried his face into his hands, right there in front of everyone. The room went silent as he started crying softly, everything was just too much.

"He's just a boy, Kurt," his father said, breaking the silence.

"But I loved him…" He whispered. Blaine was so much more than just some boy.

Carole, who was sitting next to him, put her hand on his shoulder and then started rubbing his back gently. "Whatever happened, it's going to be okay," she soothed.

"No it's not."

"Rachel told me she's going to be visiting next weekend before she moves to New York," Finn said, trying to help the situation. "You could just leave with her."

Kurt thought about it for a few moments. There were five weeks left of summer and he knew he couldn't stay in Ocean City much longer. Maybe he could wait another week…

"I guess I could help Rachel set up the apartment," he sniffled. "She could probably use some help…"

"Just think it over, okay?" Burt said. "I thought I had five more weeks with you."

 _I guess more than one person thought they had more time._  Kurt looked up and noticed Aunt Annie had an unhappy expression on her face. She probably didn't want him to leave either.

"May I go back to bed?" He asked quietly.

"Sure…you need some time to get your head together," Carole said.

Kurt got up from the table and started up the stairs. "We are going to talk about this later!" Burt called from the table. Kurt didn't answer him and walked into his room, shutting the door and leaning back against it. He slid down it and wrapped his arms around his legs, slowly rocking back and forth.

"He's going to be okay," he whispered to himself. "Blaine's going to be okay… my Blaine's going to be okay."

He didn't even have enough energy to go back to his bed, falling back asleep right on the floor. He didn't wake up again until he heard "Your Song" filling the room, a giveaway that Blaine was trying to call him. He stood up slowly and walked to his bed, sitting on the edge. He just sat and stared at his phone as it played the song Blaine had first sang to him. He wanted it to stop so badly, he wanted Blaine just to leave him alone, pretend that they never happened because it was just too hard to know Blaine was sick.

The music finally did stop, and Kurt fell back on the bed. He had trouble falling asleep this time, because he knew he should have answered his phone. However, he did fall back asleep, and he dreamed again, just like he used to. Except now they all involved Blaine's imminent death.

He woke with a start at around four in the afternoon, his heart racing and his clothes drenched in sweat. He changed immediately and then went back to bed, not ever wanting to leave his room again. He checked his phone and saw that he had over thirty new text messages and another call from Blaine which he must have slept through.

He noticed several texts from Rachel and one from Mercedes, whom he had hardly talked to that summer. He had always been with Blaine…or thinking about Blaine…or planning his future with Blaine…

Most of the texts were indeed from Blaine. He didn't bother reading them, because he knew what all of them would say. There were two new voicemails from Blaine as well. He had to listen to them, because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, he needed to hear his voice.

He held the phone up to his ear and listened quietly as Blaine's voicemail began:

_Hey Kurt…It's Blaine…Duh you know it's me because you have caller ID and probably aren't answering for that exact reason but…I really need to see you. I just, I love you so much and—_

"No you don't!" Kurt yelled into the phone before throwing it at the wall. "If you loved me you would have told me!" He knew Blaine couldn't hear him but he didn't care. He walked over to his phone which was now on the floor in pieces. "Now look what you've done, now you've broken my phone too."

Someone must have heard the phone hit the wall and his yelling because there was a knock at the door. "Kurt?" It was his dad. "Is everything alright. Is there someone else in there?"

"No dad, it's just me," he sighed.

He dad walked in and noticed his broken phone laying next to Kurt on the floor. "What happened?"

"What happened? Let's see…" He pretended to be counting off his fingers. "I was forced to come live here, away from my friends, such as Mercedes, whom of which I have'nt talked to in weeks might I add. But I guess it got better for a while, because you know, I met this guy who was actually really nice to me. That's a great reason to fall in love with someone, don't you think?" He chuckled sarcastically to himself. "Then there was the part where he saved my life, probably why I felt I needed him all this time. He sang me a few songs, made me feel wanted, told me I was perfect and special. Stupid crap like that."

His father looked at him in shock. "Kurt…"

"And how could I forget all those promises? The ones that made me love him even more. Like he would always take care of me and that we would always be together. I'm such a naïve person aren't I? So immature and silly. He didn't love me. He probably was just using me for a good time."

"If he did anything like that…" Burt warned.

"Why does it matter? It's all over anyway!" Kurt walked over to the teddy bear Blaine had won him the first time they went to the amusement park and picked it up. He looked at it for a few moments before throwing it at the window sudden anger boiling inside of him. "I hate him!" He yelled, tears filling his eyes. "I hate him because it wasn't anything like that!" He bawled.

"What did he do Kurt? You have to tell me," his father pleaded.

"He has cancer, alright? He's had cancer for months and he didn't tell me," Kurt sobbed, totally defeated. "He's dying and it's not fair, it's just not fair."

Burt walked up to Kurt and pulled him into his arms. Kurt buried his face into his dad's shoulder and cried. They stood there silent for few moments, as Kurt's sobs quieted down.

"I'm so selfish," Kurt whispered. "Why can't it be me? Why does it have to be Blaine who's sick?"

"Don't you dare say that," Burt told him.

"I shouldn't be this upset…"

"You have the right to be angry, Kurt. I saw how happy you were. You were almost a different person. Yes, I would have liked to spend more time with you this summer but…"

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be sorry for falling in love. How could you have known he was hiding something like that from you?"

"It's not just that he kept it from me, it's that he lied to my face. It don't even know who he really is anymore. And the worst part it I just feel so alone…"

"I'm going to help you through this," Burt said pulling away and holding his son's shoulders.

"You don't know how much I need someone right now."

"I'll be here if you want to tell me more," he said, giving Kurt another hug.

Kurt nodded. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Kurt," Burt said, holding tight to his heartbroken son.

Kurt didn't realize how much telling someone could help. It was like when he told Blaine about his dreaming, like somehow, things could be alright.

* * *

_Week 8 Day 4_

Another two full days went by and Kurt was slowly starting to feel like his life could get back together. He fixed his phone, but Blaine hadn't called or texted him since Saturday.

Everyone knew what had happened now. His family was trying their best to leave him alone yet help him heal. Kurt really appreciated it, although he didn't know what he was going to do about Blaine. He knew they needed to talk before he left to New York with Rachel.

Yes, he had decided to leave with Rachel when she came that weekend. He knew he had to get away and start over with a new life, a life that didn't include the hurt.

Kurt hadn't told Rachel about Blaine's illness yet. He felt like the less she knew the better, although it was hard to keep Finn from telling her.

He spent most of his time in bed sleeping off the memories, and debating whether or not to call Blaine. Every time he would ask himself that question the answer would always be no, there was plenty of time to call him later.

As much as he was feeling better during the day, the nights were still hell. It was dream after dream and nightmare after nightmare of Blaine dying, and Kurt unable to save him. Sometimes he would drown like the first time, and other times he would watch the line fall flat as he laid in a hospital bed. It was becoming such a commonplace event that Kurt eventually stopped crying whenever he woke up. Monday night was more of the same, and when he woke up extremely early Tuesday morning he decided not to go back to sleep.

He started downstairs to get himself a cup of coffee, but on his way noticed Aunt Annie's door was open. He peered inside and saw the old woman sitting at her piano, staring at the keys.

"Aunt Annie?" He asked softly, wondering what she was doing.

She didn't turn around and Kurt was starting to get worried, so he walked inside her room slowly. "Is everything alright? It's me, Kurt."

"I can't play," she said softly.

Kurt stopped right behind her. At first stunned and then desperate, because Blaine had been the one to help her remember. He closed the door and then sat at her side on the bench. "I'll help you remember. How did Blaine do it again?" He started to say, laying his hands on the keys.

The old woman lifted her shaky hands and laid them on top of Kurt's. "I'm sorry I didn't remember about the boy being ill."

Kurt slowly closed his eyes and exhaled. "It's not your fault…"

"But if I had told you…There's more that I didn't remember about Blaine. Things that may help you understand why he didn't tell, or couldn't tell you he was sick."

Kurt dropped his head and then looked back up at Aunt Annie, guilt present in her eyes. It wasn't her fault that she was sick and couldn't remember things. Even if they were the most important things.

"I am starting to remember things, different memories are coming back, and now that I'm putting them together..." She took a deep breath before beginning. "His grandmother, Cecilia, and I used to be great friends," she began. "She's just a few months younger than me, and we went to school together here in the city. She was a sweet girl, yet I always knew something was wrong." She paused for a moment and then started again, like she was living back a memory. "One day, she didn't come to school, and she never missed school. I was worried, so I went to her house to see if she was ill. When I arrived at her house…" She was visibly shaking. "…I heard screaming from inside the house. I knew it was her right away, but I was too afraid to do anything."

"What happened to her?" Kurt asked.

"Her father beat her for not doing her chores the day before. He would beat her almost every day, and that wasn't even the worst of it." Aunt Annie said. "You should know her father was a large man, who had just come back from fighting in World War II. We were all afraid of him, I think Cecilia was the most afraid of him. Until then I didn't know why…"

"And what does this have to do with Blaine?" Kurt asked skeptically.

"I'm getting there," she said. Kurt nodded and let her continue. "As we got older we started drifting apart. Her father died when she was about 20, around the time I had Johnny I remember. I thought she was finally going to be happy, but he messed her up so badly. When she married the Anderson boy, we were all so happy for her, and she did love him so much..." She looked around for a moment. "Could you walk me to my bed? I think I need to lie down."

Kurt walked her to the bed and pulled the piano bench next to her so he could listen to the story. He took her hand and she started again. "But then she had her only son, Benjamin, who she called Benny. He was the cutest thing, but at first Cecilia didn't see him that way. We learned later that she had a horrible case of Postpartum Depression, but back then those things were hardly diagnosed."

"What did she do to him?" Kurt asked.

"Neglected him mostly, she wasn't able to look at him for months because he looked too much like her father. Johnny had passed away by the time Benny was five, and Carole moved in with me after my sister died a few years after that. He and Carole went to school together, same class and everything. I heard…rumors from other mothers, which turned out to be true."

Kurt closed his eyes, he almost didn't want to know what she must have done. "She…she would play mind games with him. She never beat him, because she would never become her father. But she emotionally abused him… She would give him rules that didn't make sense, but if he didn't follow them she would lock him in a closet for hours on end, or lock him in his room with no food for days...So many horrible punishments. She would isolate him from other children, sometimes only letting him make friends with the children she knew were on vacation so that she would have to comfort him when they left. She started homeschooling him when he was about fifteen, trying to keep him away from the 'evils' of the world. But for some reason I was always too afraid to do anything to help that poor boy, and so was everyone else. But it was such a different time back then, you never got involved."

"Do you think she does that to Blaine? Like, locks him in closets and stuff?"

"From what I can tell, his father sent him to her for a reason. He knew that she would do the same to Blaine."

"But why did he tell me his grandmother couldn't know when she had known all along? Why make us hide our relationship? That doesn't make sense."

"Do you know how they are paying for his treatment? They were definitely not well off."

"Yeah, that Jessica girl told me their church pays for it with donations." Kurt paused as the sudden realization hit him. "If the church knew he was gay…"

"They probably wouldn't be so giving, would they?" She finished his sentence. "It could be so much worse over there than you think, I would really talk with Blaine if I were you."

Kurt was still speechless. Aunt Annie's attempt to help him understand made him even more confused. "But…"

"Kurt…" He looked up at the woman and held her hand tightly. "Do you regret falling in love with Blaine?"

He realized that was the question that would solve everything. Did he regret it all, now that he knew Blaine was sick? Did Blaine being sick really matter? The lies were what hurt the most, but what if they weren't his fault?

Kurt shook his head and tears started falling from his eyes. "No…I could never regret it."

* * *

Kurt ran back to his room and noticed it was only eight o'clock. Blaine would be up by then, right? He grabbed his phone and realized he had never listened to all of the voicemails Blaine left, so he quickly dialed the voicemail box and listened, heart racing because he wanted to hear Blaine voice again so badly.

He listened to the whole first one this time:

_Hey Kurt…It's Blaine…Duh you know it's me because you have caller ID and probably aren't answering for that exact reason but…I really need to see you. I just, I love you so much and I'm so sorry I hurt you. I- I messed up and you deserve to hate me, but please, I need to see you again. I can explain it all just call me back if you hear this. I'm so sorry…_

The second one started immediately after, but this time it didn't sound like the same Blaine. He sounded weak and fragile, and Kurt could barely hear his voice:

_Kurt…Please answer…I-I'm in the hospital—but don't worry okay? I don't want you to worry about me. Just in case it's the last time I can tell you…I love you, I love you, I love you. Okay? I'm going to say it again because I want you to know that I'm here fighting for you and only you. I love you Kurt Hummel, and you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Don't come here though I—_

Blaine's voice suddenly stopped. "Blaine? Blaine come back," he choked. Kurt was shaking and hiccupping to hold back sobs. Blaine was in the hospital…

What if he was already too late?


	16. Chapter 16

_Week 8 Day 4 (Continued)_

Kurt sat on the edge of his bed and stared at the wall, totally stunned and unable to move. Blaine had been in the hospital for almost three days by now judging from the time of the phone call. What if he was too late? What if Blaine was already dead? The thought of not being able to ever see Blaine again was unbearable. Even if he had considered it a few times that week, the possibility that it had become reality was just too much.

But what was he doing just sitting there? If Blaine was still in the hospital fighting for his life, sitting in his room thinking of worst case scenarios was just wasting more time. He needed to be with him, or at least try.

Kurt pushed himself off of his bed and darted into his closet. Once he found something acceptable to wear, he changed and ran downstairs, not wasting a second of time. Carole was up already watching TV with Burt in the living room, while Finn, as always, was still asleep.

"What are you doing up dressed this early?" Burt asked as Kurt moved through the living room to get to the front door.

"I'm taking the car," he said, not even taking a moment to stop and look at his father.

"Whoa there," Burt said. Kurt stopped and turned around, obviously preoccupied. "Why do you need the car?"

"I'm going out," he answered flatly.

"Okay, I would think you were going out if you took the car. Where exactly will you be going?"

There was no point in wasting any more time. "I'm going to see Blaine, he's in the hospital. Now please may I take the car?"

Burt heard the urgency in Kurt's voice and waved his hand for him to leave. "Be careful," he told him.

Kurt nodded. "Thank you, I'll try to have it home soon," he said, grabbing the keys off the key ring at front door and rushing himself to the car. His heart was beating fast and he felt like he was racing against time. He felt like each second was critical, and for all he knew, they were.

He definitely drove much faster than he was supposed to. He didn't even know what hospital Blaine was at. The only one he knew of was the one he went to after he almost drowned, so it seemed best to try there first. He secretly hoped Blaine wasn't there, because the hospital hadn't been extremely accommodating.

Once he was in the hospital he looked around until he found the front desk, who had a red haired woman with large glasses working at the computer.

He walked up to the desk and tried to get the woman's attention, who looked like she was in her late twenties. "Excuse me?" He asked. When the woman didn't respond he asked again with a little more force in his voice. "Excuse me? I need to find someone—" She put her finger up, telling him to wait a moment without ever taking her eyes off the computer.

Kurt stood there in front of the desk and waited, rather impatiently as time persisted. The woman sat at the computer for at least five minutes while she chewed gum, and with each passing minute Kurt was becoming incredibly agitated. "I'm still here," he said in an annoyed voice.

The woman finally looked up at him with an equally annoyed expression. "What do you want," she sighed.

"I  _want_ to see my boyfr—m-my friend." The woman lifted her eyebrow. "I came here to see my friend Blaine Anderson. He has cancer and I was wondering if you could see if he's checked into this hospital?" Or  _had_ been checked into this hospital.

"Visiting hours are from noon to four for non-family members. Maybe you should come back later if you want to see your friend." She swiveled in her chair and turned back to what she was doing on the computer.

"Could you please just see if he's at this hospital?" He pleaded. "I just need to know—"

The phone rang at the front desk and the woman answered it, not even listening to Kurt. "Hey Jenny…No, I'm not doing anything…"

"Hello?" Kurt tried to get the woman's attention again.

"Shh," she snapped at him. She covered the phone with her hand "It's an important call kid, I'll be with you in a moment." She the phone back to her ear. "I'm back. I know! Did you see that episode of…wasn't it perfect?"

Kurt turned around and walked to a chair in the waiting room. They were wasting time, why wouldn't this woman help him? He was so irritated and anxious that he felt like steam would burst from his ears.

Exactly one minute went by before Kurt couldn't take it anymore. He clenched his jaw, stood up, and walked straight toward the desk.

"No, Jenny, I swear to you…"

"Excuse me?" Kurt said forcefully, slamming his hand on the desk. The woman flinched at the sound of his voice and put down the phone. Once he knew he had her attention he continued. "Now, I don't think it would be that hard just to look up one simple name to see if he is checked into this hospital. I don't care about whatever you and what's-her-name have to talk about, all I know is right now my friend might be dead. So what you need to do right now is to look up 'Blaine Anderson' and see where in this freaking hospital he is so I can go tell him that I still love him—" Kurt covered his mouth immediately after he processed what he just said.

The red haired woman's eyes went wide and she picked the phone back up. "Jen, I'll have to call you back." She slowly rolled herself back to the computer and started typing. "You said his name was Blaine Anderson, correct?"

Kurt nodded. "Yes, that's his name." He squeezed his arm as the woman kept typing, the pressure and anxiousness building.

"It looks like he was in room 57A of recovery…" She read off the computer screen. "But that was before…"

"Before what? What happened? Please tell me he's okay," he said, tears building in his eyes.

"Calm down," she groaned. "He was moved to the fourth floor yesterday, that's where cancer treatment's located. It says…It says he came in for an abnormally high white blood cell count...They took a biopsy Saturday to see how much farther the cancer had spread…there were complications…"

"Complications? What kind of complications?" Kurt was relieved that Blaine was alive yet worried about what was happening to him.

"I would guess infection…great time to have extra antibodies, right?" She laughed. Kurt was not laughing.

"What room is he in?"

"I'm sorry but you can't see him right now. Visiting hours are noon to four—"

"Does it look like I care when the visiting hours are?" He cut her off. "Is there someone who actually takes their job seriously who I could talk to?"

She scoffed. "Kid, I don't know who you think you are but you are going to have to wait until noon to see your little boyfriend. Got it?"

All of a sudden, everyone in the immediate viewing distance of their conversation was staring at them. Kurt gave the woman the biggest bitch glare and started out of the waiting area, he wasn't going to wait until noon.

He found the nearest elevator and was about to hit the four, before noticing it was already pressed. Only a woman with dark black hair and a white coat was standing next to him. "So you're going to four too?" She said, obviously trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, I'm trying to visit my friend but I guess I'll have to 'wait until noon'." Annoyance was obvious in his voice. Why couldn't this elevator move any faster?

"Who's your friend?" She asked.

"His name's Blaine. I just found out he was sick a few days ago…"

"Blaine Anderson?"

"You know him?" He asked astonished. She smiled at him.

"It would be pretty awful if a doctor didn't know their own patients. Don't you think?" She held out her hand. "I'm Dr. Martin."

Kurt took her hand and shook it. "My name is Kurt Hummel. Do you know if there would be any way for me to see him?"

The elevator doors opened on the fourth floor and Dr. Martin led him into the waiting room of the cancer treatment area. "I think it could be arranged," she said sweetly.

Kurt smiled for the first time that morning as Blaine's doctor led him through double doors and into a hallway. There were so many different people. Some were just children, other's were full growth adults. Many didn't have hair, others couldn't walk. Kurt wouldn't even allow himself to imagine what Blaine must have went through.

"Don't tell anyone I'm doing this, okay?" She whispered to him. "But, I think Blaine could use a visitor. He's never had one besides his grandmother…" She leaned in towards him. "Don't tell him I said this, but she can be such a prude."

Kurt chuckled. "I think he already knows that." Kurt paused for a moment. This was Blaine's doctor, she might have answers. "Do you think there is anything that could help him?" he asked, although it didn't seem like she heard him. Before anything else could be said Dr. Martin stopped in front of a door. It must have been Blaine's room.

"I can tell he doesn't like this room as much," she said. "He was moved out of the children's part of the hospital a few weeks ago." She opened the door slowly and peered her head inside. "He's resting right now, but I think if you're quiet…"

"Thank you so much," he whispered. Kurt knew he could never tell the doctor how much he appreciated what she was doing for him.

There was a loud beeping sound and Dr. Martin started backing away from the door. "I have to go, but it was great meeting you Kurt," she said, running down the hallway.

She was gone in a matter of moments, and all that was left was Blaine's open door, which he hadn't yet looked inside.

He slowly walked in and shut the door, making sure not to make much noise.

The room was dark and curtains were pulled over the large windows of the hospital room. It was quiet, all except for the faint beating of a heart monitor.

And then there was Blaine, sound asleep in his hospital bed. Kurt had never seen him this way, even when he had become sick at his house that one day, he never looked as bad as he did right at that moment. He looked so much smaller lying in that bed, in the room all by himself. His skin was pale and blotchy, accompanied by large circles under his eyes. His lips were chapped and slightly parted, with a thin nasal tube running right above them. He looked so helpless.

Kurt couldn't look at him like that, it was just too hard.

He turned around and buried his face in his hands, tears starting almost immediately. He thought he would have run out of them by now, but yet they still fell. Seeing Blaine laying there made everything feel so much more real.

He stayed quiet, making sure that he didn't wake Blaine. Once he got the courage to look at Blaine again he turned around slowly, hoping it wouldn't look as bad as he remembered. But it still was.

Kurt pulled one of the hospital chairs close to Blaine's bed, trying his hardest not to break down at the thought of how much pain he must have been in. He sat down quietly and made his movements slow to keep Blaine from waking up.

He just sat there for a few moments, afraid that if he did anything he could hurt Blaine. There were so many wires and tubes coming from Blaine's body, and the thought that those things were the only thing keeping Blaine alive scared Kurt.

But even with the wires and the dark rings around his eyes, he was still Blaine. His Blaine. And in the end, Kurt still loved Blaine, even if he had lied or made him promises he couldn't keep. Yes, Kurt had been angry, mostly because he didn't understand why. Why Blaine had not told him. Why had Blaine said things he didn't mean. Why he couldn't have Blaine forever.

Kurt slowly lifted his hand and rested it on top of Blaine's. His skin was cold, it wasn't like the warmth he usually had.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He turned his head away and squeezed eyes shut, trying to keep more tears from falling. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to make sense of it all. How could everything change so quickly? His life used to seem so perfect with Blaine. And now he was here, sitting in a hospital room watching the only person who owned his heart sick and in pain.

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut harder and tried to pull himself together. It was just so hard to watch him—

"Am I dead?" A voice croaked.

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Blaine, who was looking at him with a confused expression. Kurt smiled at him weakly, choking on his own words. "No, you are perfectly alive."

Blaine took a deep breath, trying to wake up. "Then I must be dreaming, you can't be..."

"You're awake…I'm here…"

"Then I must be having a hallucination. It's probably the medicine…" He started to seem frustrated. Kurt took Blaine's hand and squeezed it, letting him know he was really there. Blaine's eyes drifted down to his hand and then back up at Kurt, tears forming in his eyes as shook his head. "But…How? I-I—" Tears started falling down his cheeks. "I never thought I would see you again," he choked out.

Kurt couldn't stand to watch Blaine cry. "I'm so sorry I didn't pick up when you called. I was just…I was really hurt and I didn't understand. I still don't understand…"

"Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry." His voice was raspy and barely audible. "None of this was your fault. I was a coward, just like you said."

"You're not a coward. That is far from what you are."

Blaine's hand was trembling. "B-but I am. I was such a coward that I couldn't tell you my grandmother was making me hide us. I was such a coward that I told myself over and over that I was going to be alright, so much so that I started believing it." Kurt started hiccuping to keep from sobbing, everything was so wrong. Blaine held his hand tighter. "Please don't cry. I can't stand to watch you cry, especially because of me."

Kurt tried to stop, but it was becoming so hard to keep everything bottled in. "I was so scared that I would'nt get the chance to say goodbye…That call…"

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have called you, I know. I was being selfish again."

"Please stop saying that," Kurt begged. "You aren't selfish, and you're not a coward, okay?" Kurt took a deep breath. "Those few moments when I thought I could have lost you…I-I can't think of what my life would be without you."

"H-how did you find me?" He asked.

"Your doctor helped me after a horrible woman with an awful sense in fashion wouldn't tell me where you were. But I would have searched the whole place if I had to."

"I can't believe you came all the way here to find me…no one's ever visited me before…it kind of feels weird."

"Well, that's because no one loves you like I do," Kurt replied softly.

Blaine looked away from Kurt, almost as if he couldn't look at him, and started crying so hard he was having trouble breathing. "Blaine I—" Kurt started.

"How- how can you-"  _Hiccup._ "s-still love me?"  _Hiccup._ "You shouldn't still-still love me."

"Shh…Blaine…Please look at me," Kurt said. Blaine looked up at him, eyes red and puffy. Kurt had never seen him break down like this. "I'm going to love you forever," he said without a hint of doubt.

"Even if my forever ends tomorrow?" Blaine hiccupped.

_Your forever_. Kurt remembered Blaine using that phrase often. "Your forever won't end tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week. And you know how I know?" Blaine shook his head. "Because you promised you were going to fight for me, and I know you're going to keep it."

"I am, Kurt. I really am." Blaine said, teary eyed. Kurt leaned over the bed and kissed Blaine right on the lips, like he had been wanting to for so long. Blaine seemed surprised at first, but then gently kissed Kurt back, lifting his hand and holding the back of his neck.

Kurt felt like a piece of himself that had been missing for the past few days had been filled, and it was one of the greatest feelings he had ever felt. They were together again, and the extent of it didn't really seem to matter.

They sat and talked for a while, mostly Kurt trying to convince Blaine they were going to be alright. Those four days they had apart really were all Kurt needed to be sure that if this was all the time he had left with Blaine, he was going to make the most of it.

* * *

An hour later found Kurt curling himself up beside Blaine on the bed, as Blaine relaxed, very tired. He tried not to move too much, afraid that he might hurt Blaine's fragile body. "Is this okay?" Kurt asked gently.

Blaine nodded slowly. "The nurse might come in soon…" He yawed. "Not that I really care."

"Do you want to go back to sleep? I can leave if you—"

"No," Blaine interjected. "Please stay."

Kurt leaned over and kissed Blaine's temple as a way of telling him he was not going to leave him. He watched Blaine slowly close his eyes start drifting off to sleep again.

There had been a lot to think about for the last few days, his immediate anger at Blaine for not telling him the truth, now turning into acceptance. In the end, maybe he wasn't so angry at Blaine, maybe he was more angry at the world.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked in a whisper.

"Mhm?"

Kurt closed his eyes, finally thinking through his final decision. He need to make sure Blaine understood what all of this meant. "I forgive you for not telling me that you were sick," he said. He opened his eyes to see Blaine's reaction.

Blaine turned his head so he was looking at Kurt, half lidded with sleep. "I still don't think I've forgiven myself…" he said. "You were already so broken…and I just made it worse…" He took a large inhale. "Did your dreams come back?"

Kurt looked away, not wanting to tell him that they had become so much worse. Although the loss of eye contact gave him away. "When I get out of here…" Blaine said, trying to stay awake. "I'm going to hold you through them…okay? Make it all better…"

Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder and nodded. He watched as Blaine quietly drifted off to sleep again, the heart monitor beeping slowly.

After a few minutes Kurt decided it was best not to be in the bed with him if a nurse happened to walk in, so he rolled off the bed gradually, making sure he didn't wake up Blaine. He sat in the chair and watched him sleep, but this time he felt at ease, because he had forgiven Blaine, and for now that was good enough.

The nurse did eventually come in and Kurt was asked to leave, but not before giving Blaine one last kiss goodbye, because it still could be their last. Although there was something inside Kurt that told him Blaine was going to be alright. It probably had something to do with the light that came back into Blaine's eyes. But for whatever the reason, Kurt knew the battle was far from over, nor impossible to win.


	17. Chapter 17

_Week 8 Day 5_

Kurt went back to see Blaine at the hospital at noon the next day (and hopefully this time he would not be kicked out). In order to get a visitors pass he had to encounter that awful woman at the front desk again, who he learned had only been working there for two weeks. Kurt didn't feel like she would be working there much longer.

On his way to the fourth floor he passed by the gift shop. As he did he thought about how Blaine had absolutely no flowers or cards in his room, and decided it might help Blaine's recovery if he had something that reminded him that someone cared. That Kurt cared.

So, he went inside and looked at the different flower arrangements, picking the last bouquet of dark red roses, the symbol of love.

"Would you like a vase for these?" The woman at the checkout counter asked.

"Yes please," he said quickly, bouncing on his heels in anticipation of seeing Blaine again.

She smiled at him. "Someone special?"

"Very," he nodded.

"Well," she said ringing up his purchase, "I think they will like these very much."

"I hope so." Kurt took the flowers and gave the store clerk a smile. She handed him a card to put in the flowers, so he filled it with a sweet message for Blaine, hoping he would like them.

He carried the large vase up to the fourth floor and stopped in front of Blaine's door. It was only the second of many days he would have to see Blaine sick, and he didn't know if he could handle having to see him so weak. But he knew that was something you had to do for someone you loved.

He took a deep breath before knocking and opening the door slowly. Blaine was in his bed watching TV, his nasal tube gone and in pajamas instead of hospital clothes. Kurt was surprised at how much better he looked after only one day, although there was still something a little off about him.

As soon as Blaine noticed Kurt he pushed himself into a sitting position and turned off the TV. "Hey," he said smiling.

"Well you seem to be feeling better today," Kurt said setting Blaine's flowers at the table at the edge of his bed.

Blaine nodded and Kurt walked around to the side of his bed. "Are those for me?" He asked, pointing to the roses.

"Who else would they be for, silly?" Kurt joked, giving Blaine a kiss on the forehead and sitting in the hospital chair.

"You didn't have to get anything for me," he said sitting back against the pillows, smile fading.

"I thought your room needed a little color…Do you not like them?" Kurt asked, disappointment evident in his voice.

"No, Kurt…I love them, it's just…" He seemed to hesitate.

"What is it?"

Blaine took a deep breath. "If she sees the flowers—It's just, my grandmother can't know that you're coming to see me." He paused for a moment. "Can I tell you something?"

Kurt took Blaine's hand. "You can tell me anything, Blaine. You know that, right?"

Blaine nodded and took a deep breath. "My grandma knew I liked you ever since you came to my house that one day…" He smiled to himself, "I guess I'm not that good at hiding my feelings." He wouldn't make eye contact with Kurt, it was almost as if he was telling to story to himself. "She told me I wasn't allowed to see you anymore, just like I thought she would. I might have gotten away with seeing you too, if she hadn't called the church the night of the lock-in…She…she waited for me to come home, that night after you almost drowned."

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and continued, "She had never really ever yelled at me before. Not like that. I was actually scared, really scared. She threatened to send me back to Ohio…with my dad." He looked up into Kurt's eyes and started shaking his head. "I couldn't go back there, Kurt. I just couldn't."

Kurt pulled Blaine's hand to his lips. "Shh, you're not going back there. It's okay…"

"I begged her to let me see you, I told her I would do anything…I don't know what it really was, but after a few days, she changed her mind. She said I could see you as long as no one ever found out, and she never wanted to see it either. I really don't know why I told you she couldn't find out, but it just seemed easier that way…"

"You told me she gave you a choice, and you chose me. What was the choice?"

"That I would go off my pain meds…and cut my blood transfusions in half…"

"Blaine!" He gasped. "Why would she make you do that?"

"It wasn't that bad actually, it really felt like nothing changed. They were so expensive and we never had health insurance… we had already found out there was nothing the doctors could do…"

"She was practically trying to torture you, Blaine."

"No she wasn't. She let me see you, and I can't thank her enough. She pays for all of this, she could have easily sent me back home to get treatment, but she's taking care of me. We don't have a lot of money, and it was a matter of time before we would be forced to give up the medicine anyway."

Kurt thought about Aunt Annie's story. About how Blaine's grandmother would play mind games with her son, let him make friends only to be torn away from them. Kurt had to ask. "Blaine?" He said in a small voice. "What did she do to you after she found out you were still seeing me?"

Blaine looked at Kurt confused. "I told you, she yelled at me for a while but eventually decided to let me see you…"

"Don't lie to me," he said softly. He knew there was more.

Blaine gulped, it was obviously hard for him to talk about. "W-when I walked in that night, she was really angry at me for lying to her…And when she threatened to send me to my dad, I yelled back. It's my fault, I'm not supposed to yell at her." Blaine seemed to stumble over his words. "She's not a bad person, Kurt. I know I might say things that make it seem like she's cruel but she's really not…she helps me. I wouldn't be here without her."

"What did she do to you?" Kurt persisted.

Blaine silently took Kurt's hand and led it to the back of his head, pushing his hair out of the way. "You'll know when you feel it," he said.

Kurt felt around Blaine's scalp until his hand ran across a large bump. Blaine winced at the touch and Kurt pulled away quickly. "Blaine…"

"She hit me over the head with a lamp," he said quietly. "And then she locked me in my room for a while…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kurt asked.

"I don't think a little bump on the head was a bad as you almost drowning."

"There must be something wrong if it's still there after all this time."

"The leukemia makes me bruise easy, that's all it is. It wasn't that hard. And then the next day she told me I could see you, so everything was alright."

"We need to tell someone, you need to get out of that house."

Tears were coming to Blaine's eyes. "No, please don't tell anyone. They'll make me go back to my dad, and I can't go out on my own, I don't have any money to pay for my next hospital visit. She's the only one keeping me alive." He squeezed Kurt's hand. "I just want to spend the rest of my life with you, I don't want things to get complicated."

"Has she been here today?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, the doctors told her I'll be released Friday. See Kurt? You've made me better."

"Why can't I leave the flowers here? Why can't she know?"

"Because I told her I stopped seeing you," he cried. "If she knows I lied to her she might take more away from me. I told her I stopped seeing you after you found out, because I never thought I would see you again."

Kurt didn't know what to do. Blaine obviously was afraid of his grandmother, who was threatening him with something he was even more afraid of, which was his own father.

"I don't think you should visit me anymore," Blaine said, interrupting Kurt's thoughts.

"Wha—Why?"

"If she sees you here…"

Kurt stood up and sat on Blaine's bed, then leaned over and took Blaine's face into his hands. "She's not going to find out. If you don't want me to come here anymore then I'll wait for you to get home. But you need to tell me these things Blaine, we need to be honest with each other."

"I know…" Blaine had his eyes fixed on Kurt's lips. "I really want to kiss you Kurt."

Kurt smiled . "You should know by now you don't have to ask." Blaine surged forward and kissed Kurt hard, almost as if he needed it. He put his arms around Kurt's back, trying to pull him closer. They kissed for a while, but in the back of his mind Kurt was always thinking of how things were so much worse than they seemed.

"Please don't tell anyone," Blaine said later on while Kurt was laying next to him on the bed.

"Blaine…"

"Please, just for a while. She's only ever hit me once, and she said she was sorry."

Kurt didn't believe any of that for a moment. "I'll promise, only if you promise me you'll go back on your pain meds and tell me if she does anything else to you, okay?"

Blaine nodded. "Okay," he said softly.

"You'll text me when you get home Friday, right?" He asked, sitting up and getting ready to leave.

"First thing," Blaine smiled, obviously relieved that Kurt promised not to tell anyone.

Kurt gave Blaine one last kiss on the cheek before walking to the edge of his bed and picking up the roses. "Oh, I forgot to give you the card," Kurt said, taking the card out of the flowers and handing it to Blaine.

"Thank you…" Blaine looked down at the card and smiled. "I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too," he said, taking the roses and walking out the door. It was going to be okay, Blaine was getting out of the hospital in two days, Rachel was coming in three—

_Oh crap._

* * *

_Week 8 Day 7_

"Kurt, I already had the moving people pick up your stuff, I can't just tell them to drop it all off," Rachel said. It had taken Kurt two days to finally get a hold of Rachel, who had been busy packing her and Kurt's things back in Lima.

"I know, and I'm sorry I put you through all the trouble, but I can't leave now. Blaine and I worked things out…" He said to her over the phone as he paced his room.

"Well, I doubt someone who hurt you enough to make you want to leave early actually deserves to be with you." She sounded pissed off, and Kurt couldn't blame her. She had used the week to pack the things he had left sticky-noted in the house, including and the clothes he had left.

"We had some…issues…but it's okay now."  _As okay as it will ever be._  "Blaine needs me here."

"What happened anyway? You've refused to tell me. I couldn't even get it out of Finn," she muttered.

"I was going to tell you tomorrow, because it's complicated…"

"Complicated enough that you won't tell your best friend now?" She asked.

"Rachel…" He sighed. It might have been best if he told her now, and allowed her to process it overnight. "Blaine…he's sick." Kurt was surprised at how easily he said it, almost as if he was accepting it. _Almost._

There was a silence over the line. "What kind of sick? Like flu sick or…"

"Leukemia sick," he said flatly. "Blaine has leukemia." He still had to say it twice, because there was still something inside of him that wouldn't believe it.

"Oh Kurt…" Her voice became sympathetic. "How long has he had it? Was it recent?"

"He's had it since February…I didn't find out until last Friday, and it wasn't even from him."

"Is he going to be alright?"

He started shaking his head before he remember Rachel couldn't see him. His throat was closing on him, and the tears were forming.  _He wasn't going to cry_. "He told me it's over…The doctors gave him until October but even that's a stretch." Kurt sat down at his desk and covered his eyes with his hand. "They let him have the lifeguarding job so he could spend his last summer looking at the ocean...but then I had to be afraid of it…"

"I'm sorry…"

"I can't leave him now. I was at first, only because I was angry at him for not telling me …But now I've realized that I can't…" He choked a sob. "I can't live without him Rachel, I don't think I would know how."

"You would have left him eventually, what about New York, college?"

"But at least he wouldn't have been dead!" he cried. Never mind, it was too soon. He had been training himself the whole week to not be as affected by Blaine's illness, but it wasn't time to pretend like he had accepted it.

"I'm sorry you and Blaine are going through this. But you have me if you need someone to talk to. And I'm sure any of us from the Glee club would be more than welcome to help, you just need to tell us. Don't keep everything bottled up."

Kurt wiped the tears from his eyes. "I just…I don't want it to be over…" He'd been researching for the past few days, trying to find something that could help Blaine. But the type of cancer Blaine had was extremely fast paced, and it was a miracle if the patients even lived six months without treatment. The normal life expectancy was two months, which Blaine had long surpassed.

"I know you love him…but you're going to get through this. You're not alone," she said, and Kurt knew she meant it.

"The famous words of wisdom from Rachel Berry. I have to admit it, I don't know what I would do without you. Or any of you for that matter." High school had been a mess, but he knew he could have never gotten through it without the glee club. It just made Kurt even more upset that Blaine had no one to help him through all of this before Kurt.

"I'm going to tell the moving people to take back your stuff…You're needed there in New Jersey."

Kurt really did appreciate Rachel's help."I'll see you tomorrow. We all decided you're going to be on an air mattress in my room, so we can make sure you don't sneak off with Finn in the night."

"Hey! I have never done that and you know it."

"Mhm. I believe that almost as much as you telling me you hate Barbra Streisand."

Rachel laughed and Kurt started laughing along, the less he thought of Blaine the better. Maybe Rachel coming for the week could keep his mind off of things for a while.

* * *

_Week 9 Day 1_

Kurt was sleeping in his bed alone that night holding a pillow tightly to his stomach. How much he wished Blaine was with him so he could know everything would be alright.  _But nothing would ever be alright_. Blaine texted him earlier that day that he had returned back from the hospital that morning and was now on bed rest.

It was about two in the morning when 'Your Song' by Elton John filled the empty air. That song always reminded him of the day Blaine took him to the meadow for the first time and sang to him with all his heart. It also reminded him of a time when he thought he would have Blaine forever, or at least the ability to have Blaine forever.

He groggily rolled over and checked that caller ID, although he knew it was Blaine. "Hello?" Kurt asked half asleep.

"Kurt," Blaine said weakly, "I'm sorry, I just- I'm having trouble sleeping and- and- I really needed to hear your voice. I'm sorry go back to sleep." Kurt could tell there was something wrong.

"No, don't be sorry. I needed to hear your voice too." Kurt leaned over and turned his lamp light on. "Is everything alright?" He knew that was a stupid question. How could anything be alright?

"It's just, I feel really sick tonight—being off the hospital meds…" He paused for a moment. "I'm so sorry," Blaine whispered. "So, so sorry."

"Blaine, it's fine, I wasn't that asleep anyway." Kurt said as he sat up against the headboard.

"No, no, I'm s-sorry about all of this." Blaine paused for a moment. "I don't want to leave you Kurt," Blaine choked out. "I had accepted it, that- that I was going to die, but now…I want to be here for you. I promised I would be there, that I would love you and take care of you. I let you believe me, but I knew… It's not fair to you, you d-don't deserve this…" Kurt could tell Blaine was trying not to cry, and he couldn't hold back the tears of his own that started falling. "I'm so sorry Kurt. So, so sorry…"

"Shh…Blaine. Please, I- I," Kurt composed himself and began again. He needed Blaine, he needed to see him, to kiss him… "You're at your house right, in your room?" He asked.

"Yeah…"

Kurt was already out of his bed and in his closet picking out something to wear. "Make sure your window is unlocked, I'll be over in 20 minutes."

"No- Kurt- you need your sleep."

"No, I need you." Kurt took a large inhale to keep from totally breaking down. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Blaine said with absolutely no doubt in his voice. "For my forever."

Kurt knew that he would love never stop loving Blaine. Even longer than his forever.

* * *

Kurt rode his bike over to Blaine's house, and left it in the front yard as he ran to Blaine's window.

It was already opened and he could see Blaine is his bed with his eyes closed. He looked so helpless, so weak. But Kurt knew Blaine wasn't weak, he was the strongest person he knew.

He hoisted himself into the room through the window. Blaine looked like he had gone back to sleep. His skin was pale and he had severely dark rings around his eyes. Why couldn't Kurt help him? Why couldn't Kurt  _save_ him?

Kurt quietly walked over to the side of Blaine's bed and knelt on the floor. He looked at the sick, sleeping boy in front of him and started to cry.  _Why do the best people always have to leave us?_

He slowly brought his hand up and caressed Blaine's cheek and pushed his hair out of his eyes. How much Kurt loved Blaine's curly hair, which was now extremely unruly from sleep and being in the hospital for so long. He didn't want to think about how he must not have had any just a few months prior.

After a few moments he felt Blaine take in a deep breath of air as he woke up. The golden eyes lit up from the moonlight as he looked at Kurt. "Hey," Blaine said sleepily.

"Hey," Kurt said back smiling, forcing himself to stop crying and wipe the fallen tears off his face, hoping Blaine wouldn't notice.

"Thank you for coming here, tonight- tonight hasn't been the greatest night."

"I know baby," Kurt said giving him a kiss on the cheek. "But, I'm here now. I'm going to take care of you." Kurt wanted to start crying again just thinking about how sick and miserable Blaine must have felt. But he couldn't cry, he had to be strong for him. He knew Blaine didn't like to see him cry.

Blaine's eyes suddenly widened and Kurt knew what was happening from when he was sick at his house a few weeks before. Kurt took a bucket (which was conveniently placed) from beside the bed and gave it to Blaine. As soon as Blaine got hold of the bucket, he started throwing up violently. Kurt just sat there and rubbed his back up and down comfortingly.

"Sorry," Blaine said when he was finished.

"Stop saying that. You have nothing to be sorry about. Do you think it's done?" Kurt said still rubbing his back.

"Yeah, I just feel disgusting now." Kurt could see the sweat on his shirt from the restless sleeping.

"Well, let's get your teeth brushed and get you a change of clothes." Kurt said as he led Blaine out of bed. He helped him brush his teeth and got him into some pajama pants but decided he might be too hot with a shirt.

Once they laid back on the bed Kurt started to trace shapes onto Blaine's stomach as he laid with his head on his chest, looking toward the end of the bed and listening to the sound of his heartbeat.

"Kurt, I-I'm sorry for all of this. You don't have to be here. I was the one that was supposed to be taking care of you, now I'm just hurting you more…"

"What did I say about saying sorry?" Kurt said firmly. He hated that Blaine felt he needed to keep apologizing. Kurt had forgiven him already for not telling him he was sick.

"I c-can't help it. You trusted me, and I let you down…"

"It's my turn to help you now. You saved me that night, and every day since. It's my turn to pay you back, and I'm going to be here every step of the way. Because…well… because I love you." Kurt had never meant those words as much as he did right now.

"Kurt…" He could hear Blaine sniffle, and even though he wasn't looking at him, he knew he was trying to hold back tears. "You don't know how much you mean to me…" Blaine let out a dry sob and Kurt pulled himself in closer. "Since that day you stepped onto the beach…You've…" Kurt could feel Blaine's body convulsing as he tried to hold back his tears. "Kurt, you don't know how much you've made my life, or however many days I have left, worth living."

"Blaine…"

"Before you came here, I didn't even care if this illness took my life. I wanted it over with anyway. No one loved me, no one cared what happened to me…" He paused for a moment and rested his hand on Kurt's, which was laying on Blaine's stomach. "Then you came along and everything was better. I was happy for the first time in so long. That was why I was so afraid to be with you at the beginning, because I didn't want you to have something that would get taken away so quickly. I didn't want you to love somebody you couldn't have forever."

How it must have been living every day thinking that not one person loved you. There must have been someone besides Kurt that loved him, but just knowing that Blaine believed no one cared if he lived or died, made Kurt want to be there for him all that much more.

"I don't care about forever," Kurt finally said. He didn't need Blaine forever. What he needed was Blaine, for however long he could possibly have him. "At least I got to love you. At least I got to experience what it was like to have someone like you."

And with those words Kurt felt Blaine finally allow himself to break what he had been holding back for so long. Kurt didn't look up at Blaine while he cried, but he could feel the sobs racking through his body as they held each other. "I'm so scared," Blaine finally choked.

"Don't be scared," Kurt whispered, threading his fingers with Blaine's. Why would he tell him that? Of course he should be scared, he was dying.

"Why now?" Blaine sobbed. "Why when I finally become happy does it all have to be taken away?"

"I…I don't know, Blaine." Kurt didn't have an answer. He didn't have an answer for why life was so cruel to those who have been through so much.

Kurt laid silent as Blaine cried. Kurt started crying too, tears falling from his eyes onto Blaine's bare chest. He wanted them to stop, he wanted to be strong for himself and for Blaine, but his heart was breaking, and there was nothing he could do.

Blaine finally stopped crying after a few minutes, too exhausted to keep going. Kurt stopped quickly as well, feeling like he needed to do something, he wanted to make Blaine feel better. He wanted to show him how much he loved him. He just wanted to show Blaine how much he really wanted him.

After a few more moments of both boys laying silent, Kurt took Blaine's hand and kissed his palm, and then held it to his cheek, remembering that time in the meadow when Blaine wondered why it was so soft. He turned his head and kissed Blaine's cold palm again as it rested on his cheek, then set it back down on Blaine's chest after a few moments.

Kurt sat up supported himself with his arms as he looked into Blaine's puffy, dark ringed eyes. He trailed his fingers up Blaine's chest, then lifted his hand and pushed back Blaine's dark hair. He leaned down and whispered into his ear, "I want to make you feel better." Before Blaine could react he lowered his head down and started spreading kisses down Blaine's neck.

"You don't need to do this," Blaine said, closing his eyes.

"Just relax," he said giving him another kiss.

"Kurt—"

"Shh…just relax Blaine." He started to suck on the side of Blaine's neck, not too hard because he knew he would bruise very easily. Blaine turned his neck to allow Kurt more access and was already making the small moaning sounds.

After a few minutes of Kurt slowly kissing his neck, Blaine put his hands out and started tugging on Kurt's shirt, as a sign that he wanted it off. So Kurt readily obliged, pulling off his shirt and throwing it on the floor, he didn't really care if it got wrinkled, all he concentrated on was Blaine.

Kurt rolled onto Blaine and straddled his hips, trying to put as little pressure as he could on him. He slid down and starting kissing his shoulders, running his fingers ups and down the sides of Blaine's bare chest. He could almost feel his ribs because of how much weight he had lost from the hospital.

"Am I hurting you?" Kurt asked, to make sure he wasn't putting too much pressure on Blaine's fragile body.

"Mmm…No. It feels really nice," Blaine hummed with his eyes closed and his head tilted back.

Kurt took that as encouragement and resumed by kissing down his chest. He flicked his tongue across one of his nipples and Blaine moaned louder this time. Kurt unbuttoned his own jeans, and slid them off to the best of his ability without ruining the moment.

There was a small smile across Blaine's face. " _Mmm…Kurt"_  he said in a tone that was between a moan and a whisper as Kurt trailed kisses lower down his body, shifting in between Blaine's legs. He finally stopped at the band of his pajama bottoms .

He looked up at Blaine with wondering eyes, "Is this okay?" He asked, knowing Blaine would know what he meant.

" _Yes, please Kurt, please,_ " And with that Kurt gave one last kiss to Blaine's hip bone before pulling down both his pajamas and briefs at the same time. He pulled them off and threw them with the rest of his clothes. He gave a kiss to his thigh on the way back up before putting his hands firmly on Blaine's hips.

He lowered his head down and wrapped his mouth around Blaine's cock. As soon as he did Blaine groaned loudly. " _God, Kurt, feels so good."_

He started sucking slowly at the head and then sunk all the way down, taking all of Blaine in his mouth. Blaine moaned repeatedly, whispering things such as, " _I love you so much,_ " and " _I don't deserve you,"_ But Kurt felt like the one who didn't deserve Blaine.

After a few minutes of Blaine unraveling beneath him, Kurt could tell he was close. His breathing was getting faster and sharper, and he was starting to make incoherent noises that made Kurt start to rut into the mattress for some sort of friction.

" _Kurt- oh god- I'm gonna_ ," Blaine started saying as he pulled at Kurt hair. Kurt just quickened his pace as Blaine came down his throat, jerking harder into the mattress until he finally came in his own boxer-briefs.

They were both breathing heavily with dazed looks on their faces as Kurt crawled back up and laid his head on top of his arms that were crossed and resting on Blaine's chest. "I love you," Blaine whispered smiling.

"I love you too," Kurt said looking into his eyes through the darkness of the room. They laid just like that for a few more minutes, until Kurt decided to go change out of his ruined boxer-briefs and into something of Blaine's.

He came back a few minutes later and laid under the covers with Blaine. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's stomach, nuzzling his face into his curly hair on the back of his head. They were both laying on their sides, Blaine's back to Kurt's front. Blaine had fallen asleep while he was gone, and Kurt could feel Blaine's slow breathing and heartbeat. It was calming, and Kurt wouldn't let himself think about how it would stop all too soon.

Kurt thought about the Fourth of July, those times at the meadow and the pier, and how he thought he was going to be with Blaine forever. How he sang to him, and the way he kissed him. How almost everything he did made Kurt smile.

Over on Blaine's desk Kurt noticed the card that he had given him at the hospital. It wasn't much, it just let Blaine know how much he loved him, and that he made his world so much brighter.

Kurt quietly started to sing into Blaine's ear after kissing the back of his head, hoping that maybe his voice could cure cancer, like Blaine had said the first time he sang for him.

He sang softly, only loud enough that Kurt hoped Blaine could hear it in his dreams.

_I hope you don't mind,_

He kissed the back of his neck.

_I hope you don't mind,_

He kissed the top of his shoulder.

_That I put down in words…_

_How wonderful life is,_

_While you're in the world…_


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used: Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers (with Blaine Anderson's personal twist of course)

_Week 9 Day 1(Continued)_

Kurt woke up that morning curled up into Blaine's side with his arm haphazardly draped over his stomach. He looked up and saw Blaine was looking at him, he really didn't know for how long, but he suspected that it must have been for a while.

"Good morning, beautiful," Blaine said smiling while stroking Kurt's arm softly.

"Hey." Kurt smiled and breathed in deeply through his nose, closing his eyes again. "How are you feeling?" He yawned.

"Almost as good as new," Blaine told him.

"That's good…" How great it felt to be in Blaine arms again, waking up next to him in the morning, in his room while—

 _Wait._ He was in Blaine's room. It was morning. He wasn't supposed to still be there.

Kurt sat up quickly and looked around the room. "What time is it?" he asked, trying to get the sleep out of his brain while moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

Blaine sat up and crawled over to Kurt. "It's only six, don't worry," he whispered and then kissed Kurt's bare shoulder.

"I wasn't supposed to spend the whole night…" Kurt had planned to leave a few minutes after he was sure Blaine was alright for the night, which obviously he did not follow through with.

"It's alright…" Blaine leaned over and started kissing the side of Kurt's neck, which made Kurt raise an eyebrow.

"You seem to be feeling _a lot_ better," he mused. "For someone who called me in the middle of the night and just got out of the hospital yesterday…"

"Mhm…much…much…better…" Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and rested his head on his shoulder. "Thank you for last night," he murmured into Kurt's ear before presuming his infatuation with Kurt's neck.

Kurt tilted his head to the side and hummed. "What part exactly?" He asked, unable to hide the smirk that rose on his lips. Kurt knew the part that Blaine probably enjoyed the most.

"All of it…and I was thinking…it would be a shame if I didn't get to thank you properly…" Blaine breathed onto Kurt's neck, which sent chills down his spine.

"I have to go, Blaine," Kurt insisted when Blaine started moving down his jaw line, pressing himself against Kurt's back.

"Few more minutes…"

"You need to rest, and I need to get back home before my parents find out I snuck out," he persisted, although he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer.

Blaine gave one last kiss to Kurt's cheek before giving up, falling back on the bed and pulling the covers back over himself. "I don't want to waste anymore time. I just want to be with you…all of you." Kurt turned around to see that Blaine was pouting his lips and giving him incredibly heartbreaking puppy dog eyes. Kurt rolled his eyes and plopped down his stomach next to Blaine. "Don't look at me like that," Kurt said.

"Like what?" Blaine pouted.

"Like a sad little puppy, it's hurting my soul," Kurt joked, a smile creeping up his lips.

Blaine smiled and turned onto his side. "Then you stop looking at me like that."

"And how am I looking at you?" Kurt asked.

"Like the most beautiful thing in the world," he murmured gently.

Well how was he supposed to compete with that? After a few seconds a large grin formed on Blaine's face, he knew he won.

"You suck," Kurt laughed as he rolled onto his side and started kissing Blaine feverishly.

"That's exactly what you were keeping me from doing…" Blaine eventually was on top of Kurt and not looking like he was going to slow down any time soon.

Kurt was surprised at how normal it felt, like even though Blaine was sick, it wouldn't hold them back. They weren't going to allow this illness to take up anymore of the time they had left.

* * *

"That…that was…you're amazing…" Kurt breathed, hair a total mess and eyes half-lidded in a post-orgasmic haze.

Blaine was totally silent. "Blaine?" Kurt looked over to see Blaine slowly sitting up, concentrating on something. "Blaine? What's wrong?"

"Shh," he whispered, holding up his finger. "I think she's up."

"Your grandmother?" Kurt sat up quickly and ran his fingers through his hair. _Crap_.

Kurt listened for a few moments, sitting perfectly still. He could hear the faucet running from the kitchen and the sound of glasses clinking. Soon the water stopped, and he started hearing footsteps gradually becoming louder with each passing second.

" _Shit shit shit shit_ ," Blaine started muttering as he practically jumped out of the bed, pulling a sheet around his hips.

Kurt got out of the bed and pulled on the boxer-briefs and pajama bottoms that were strewn across the floor. Blaine had his head against the door, eyes wide and worried.

" _Get in the closet_ ," Blaine mouthed to him. Kurt's heart started beating faster, because he knew that being caught by Blaine's grandmother would be extremely awkward, but potentially dangerous to Blaine.

Kurt picked his clothes off Blaine's desk chair, and started moving his way toward the closet as there was a knock at the door. Both Kurt and Blaine froze immediately, looking at each other nervously. "Yes?" Blaine called, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You need to take your medicine Blaine!" His grandmother called to him from outside the door.

Blaine started moving Kurt toward the closet, "Just a minute! I'm not dressed!" He said to her over his shoulder, which wasn't a lie, he was one bed sheet away from being totally naked.

Blaine helped Kurt into the closet before whispering, "Don't come out until I open this door, okay?"

Kurt nodded and Blaine shut the door quietly. After a few moments he moved to the back of Blaine's dark closet and sat down, afraid to make a noise that might give them away. He knew he should have went home.

"Is something going on in there?" He heard Blaine's grandmother ask. She still sounded the same as he remembered.

"No, nothing's going on…" Blaine's voice sounded shaky, it must have really made him nervous to lie to his grandmother.

"I'm coming in!" _Oh fuck._

He heard the door open and then shut as soon as it did, "Why are you naked?"

"I told you not to come in!" _Blaine._

"What were you doing in there?"

"Umm…Er…masturbating?" Kurt buried his face into his hands. _Oh Blaine_ …

There was a long silence. "Well, are you done yet?" She asked him.

He heard the sound of the mattress squeak and Blaine called out, "Okay, come in!"

Kurt held his breath as he heard Blaine's grandmother walk into the room. "I want you to clean your room today Blaine, it looks like a pig lives in here," she sniped at him.

"Sorry…" Blaine muttered. His room was a mess? It was the most spotless room Kurt had ever seen.

"Do you think you are going to be well enough to sing tomorrow?"

"I don't know…" He heard Blaine murmur.

"Okay, let me rephrase, what time do you want me to wake you up tomorrow so you can get ready for church?"

"Can't I just skip tomorrow?"

"You haven't sang two weeks in a row, and I am not leaving you home alone anymore, God knows what you were doing with that little gay boy of yours…"

"Don't bring Kurt into this," Blaine's voice sounded annoyed. "Please just give me the medicine and then leave me alone."

"Poor Blainey, it's going to be alright…" Her voice seemed to be mocking him.

"Please don't touch me. The last time was enough."

"I would really find a different tone with me if I were you, I said you could go back on your pain meds but I can take you right off. We have no money coming in Blaine except for the little I get from social security and welfare, and that extra money could be really helpful."

"I'm sorry…" Blaine said quietly.

"Well, you just remember that. I don't want to see you in more pain than you have to be."

"I know…" There was a slight pause. "Have you heard anything from the doctor…like the results of the biopsy?"

"Nothing positive…" She told him. "Do you really want to know Blaine? I don't want to upset you."

"I don't know…" Kurt didn't know if he actually wanted to know either.

There was another pause. "You're mother called yesterday," Blaine's grandmother said.

He heard the sound of a glass being sat on the table. "What did she want?" He asked.

"I don't know…she was probably drunk. I wouldn't try calling her back…"

"My mother is not a drunk," Blaine's voice sounded dark.

"Of course she wasn't." Her voice was mocking him again.

"Anything from my dad?" He asked quietly.

"I haven't heard from him since March Blaine, it's going to be the same every time you ask." Kurt could hear someone getting off the bed and walking across the room.

"Okay…Are you making anything for breakfast?" Blaine asked.

"I haven't decided yet…" she said slowly. "Blaine? What is this?"

"What are you—don't read that! It's nothing…it was…a girl from church sent it to me when I was in the hospital," he said quickly. _Oh no, not the card._

"My dearest Blaine," she read, "Your smile brightens my days and your love lets me know that my heart will go on. I love you and I hope you feel better soon. Love, your Kurt." There was a long silence followed by the sound of ripping paper. "I thought you said you weren't seeing him anymore," she said coldly.

"I-I…" he stuttered.

"I told you not to lie to me!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry! But I love him and I am going to see him no matter what you say!" He yelled back.

"You honestly think he loves you? You're just a fuck buddy to him Blaine! That's all you'll ever be!" Kurt was already livid, but he didn't know how much worse opening that door would make the situation.

"That's not true!"

"You are so blind. Just like you're father. But at least he didn't have the indecency to want to fuck other boys. You are so disgusting, you and that boy."

"Shut up!" Blaine shouted. "Just shut up!"

There was a large thud and Kurt flinched. He stood up and grabbed the door handle, ready to open it at any moment.

"Please don't hurt me!" Blaine pleaded. Kurt turned the door handle, but then there was a silence. Like everything stopped. Kurt let go of the handle and put his ear up to the door, listening.

"I'm not going to hurt you Blaine…" His grandmother sighed. "We'll be talking about this later… and you're not getting any breakfast…or lunch…maybe dinner."

"But—"

"Don't…just don't. I'll be in a seven tomorrow to wake you up for church. You should practice your piece today."

"Yes ma'am," Blaine answered.

There was a silence and then the door slammed shut. Kurt waited, because he wasn't to open the door until Blaine told him he could.

There were a few moments, but then Kurt heard the bed squeak and someone turned the knob of the closet door. The door opened to reveal Blaine, eyes red and tears streaming down his face.

Kurt practically ran into his arms, throwing his own arms around Blaine's neck and pulling him close. Blaine stood still, as if he was stunned.

"It isn't true, it isn't true," Kurt whispered into Blaine ear. "You're okay, I'm here, I love you."

Blaine pressed his face into the crook of Kurt's neck and cried. She was making his life so much harder than it had to be, he didn't deserve this, he deserved to live with someone who loved him, who would make the last days of his life worth living.

"You're coming home with me," Kurt said.

"I can't…I can't leave."

"Just for today, we need to get you away from here."

Blaine shook his head into Kurt's neck. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me, never again. I'm here…"

"I'm sorry…" Kurt could feel Blaine's tears on his neck.

"Don't be sorry, you don't deserve to be treated that way," Kurt pulled away and looked into Blaine's eyes. "Please come home with me, I can put all of my money into your treatment, I was going to use it for New York but—"

"No, I'm going to stay here, and you are going to go home and be with that Rachel girl you were telling me about. I'm going to be fine, she probably locked the door anyway, she won't be bothering me for a while."

"We need to tell someone Blaine…"

Blaine pulled him into another hug, "Please don't…please…"

Kurt didn't know what to do. "You can't keep living like this…"

"But this is the only way I can keep living…"

Kurt was silent, contemplating what to do next. "I'm going to come see you sing tomorrow, okay?"

"But she'll be there—"

"Shh…It'll be okay," Kurt said as he held Blaine tighter in his arms. "You'll be okay…" Although there was always that voice in Kurt's head that kept screaming that he's not.

* * *

Kurt left through the window of Blaine's room and rode his bike home. It was about 7:30 and he didn't think anyone would be up, but he still went in through his bedroom's balcony door just to be sure.

He didn't bother going back to sleep, so he took the time to get his room ready for Rachel's week stay. They were going to talk about what they wanted their apartment to look like, and how they were going to split the money. Kurt also was going to make sure Rachel met Blaine that week, so he could show her how great he really was.

Rachel arrived later that day, pink suitcase and all. What had happened earlier that day left Kurt not as excited, although he put on a smile for her.

They went out to dinner that night and Rachel told them all about what she had been doing over the summer, which knowing Rachel Berry, made Kurt want to take a nap. But he was glad to see her again, she was one of the best friends he had.

"Okay, so do you want to watch _Funny Girl_ or _Breakfast at Tiffany's_?" Rachel asked him, standing in front of the TV in her pink silk pajamas.

Kurt was laying out on his bed, not really caring because he was trying to think about what he should do about Blaine. "You pick," he told her.

"Is there something wrong? You always have some sort of opinion on what we watch."

"It's nothing Rachel. You're the guest, you should pick."

"Fine, we'll watch _Funny Girl_ , you know I can never pass up Barbra."

Kurt nodded, drifting back into his own thoughts. Rachel laid down next to him on the bed after putting in the movie, taking the popcorn and setting it between them. "So how's Blaine?" Rachel asked him.

He wasn't really listening. "What?"

"How's Blaine? Your lifeguard?" She repeated.

"Oh, he's feeling better today," he said, taking a handful of popcorn.

"Is that it?"

 _Not in the least._ "Yeah, he's fine," his voice didn't sound at all convincing.

"How are you feeling then?"

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"Kurt, you've seemed really distant today…I don't know if this whole thing is really that good for you, you're not yourself."

"Blaine is good for me, and he makes me happy."

"You really do love him. Don't you?" Rachel concluded.

"I do, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make the last few months of his life as perfect as they can possibly be. Like tomorrow, I'm getting up early to watch him perform at his church."

"That sounds fun, maybe I could come too, we could go out afterwards or something. I really want to meet him."

"I don't think we would be able to go out Rachel," Kurt told her.

"Why not?"

"It's just, his grandmother is really strict…" He thought for a few moments. Although they wouldn't be able to go out after, having Rachel there might help if things went wrong, and it would make things look less suspicious. "If you would like to come with me, I don't think Blaine would mind," he thought out loud.

Rachel laid her head on Kurt's shoulder as they watched. "Four more weeks and we'll be in New York together," she said after a few minutes, although it wasn't as excited as it usually was when she talked about New York and NYADA.

All Kurt could think about was that it was four more weeks until he had to leave Blaine.

* * *

_Week 9 Day 2_

Rachel and Kurt walked into the church together, looking nice, trying to blend in with everyone in their Sunday best.

It was a large church, with a Sunday School in the basement and the Teen Youth meeting area upstairs. When they walked in there were many people already seated, so Kurt and Rachel sat in the back corner so they wouldn't be noticed, most importantly, noticed by Blaine's grandmother, who was sitting in the front row. She had one of those hideous feathered hats, in which Kurt wanted to punch her in the face just for wearing it. "That's his grandmother," Kurt whispered to Rachel, motioning to the front row.

"I hope Blaine didn't get his looks from her…"

"Trust me, he didn't." Kurt was _very_ thankful for that. Kurt imagined that Cecilia may have been very beautiful once, but the age and the ever-present frown on her face made it hard to believe.

"Do you see him?" She whispered.

Kurt looked around the church, but Blaine was nowhere in sight. Right before he was going to tell Rachel he wasn't finding him, the pastor came out and stood at the podium, hitting the microphone a few times to get the crowd's attention.

Everyone stopped talking and turned towards the man, pulling out their bibles. "I'm glad to have you all back for another Sunday, the old faces, and I see some new ones," the pastor said, almost looking directly at Kurt and Rachel. Was it that obvious they weren't from there?

"I have a treat for you all today," the man said. "Blaine Anderson was recently released from the hospital and has given the honor of singing for us today." Kurt looked around and saw Blaine walking up to the front of the church from a door in the back, looking extremely handsome in a dress suit and slicked back hair.

"That's him," he whispered to Rachel.

Rachel took his hand and squeezed it, as if it was finally real for her now, like Blaine wasn't just a person Kurt was making up in his head, Blaine was real.

Blaine took the microphone, walked to the center of the stage, and took a deep breath. "Hello everyone," he said. "I would like to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, I am doing very well now." He sounded rehearsed, like he was reading from a script. "I've decided to—" Blaine paused in mid-sentence, eyes fixed in Kurt's direction. Their eyes met, and Kurt gave him a weak smile. _Yes Blaine, I'm here for you, I'll always be here for you._

Blaine smiled on stage and continued, realizing he had stopped. "I've decided to sing something a little different today. It's actually for someone. Someone, very special to me." He looked back at Kurt, and then turned away, blushing. "The love of my life, actually," he said.

There were 'aww's and clapping from the audience. Even Rachel melted to Blaine's words. Kurt turned away, unable to hide the large grin that spread across his face.

Blaine motioned for the band to start and closed his eyes. "And every time I'm not with this person, I feel like the lyrics of this song." He opened his eyes and took one last look at Kurt before singing:

 _Oh my love my darling_  
I've hungered for your touch  
A long lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine  
I need your love  
I need your love  
God speed your love to me

Blaine kept looking over at Kurt and smiling, but turning away as quickly as he did.

 _Lonely rivers flow to the sea to the sea_  
To the open arms of the sea  
Lonely rivers sigh wait for me wait for me  
I'll be coming home wait for me

Rachel looked over at Kurt and smiled, squeezing his hand tightly.

 _Oh my love my darling_  
I've hungered for your touch  
A long lonely time  
And time goes by so slowly  
And time can do so much  
Are you still mine  
I need your love  
I need your love  
God speed your love to me

Once Blaine was finished everyone clapped, some women even had tears in their eyes. Kurt had tears in his eyes too, because Blaine had just sang to him in front of all these people. Sure, he would never tell anyone who he was actually singing to, but it still one of the most thoughtful things Blaine had ever done for him.

Blaine bowed and the pastor gave him a pat on the back. "Another great performance, Blaine. And is the lucky lady here today?" He asked.

"No, she couldn't make it." Blaine smiled to himself for a moment. Nope, _she_ couldn't make it.

"Well, we don't want to keep you away from your work in the nursery much longer so I'm going to let you go," he told Blaine. The congregation took another round of applause as Blaine thanked the pastor. Blaine looked over at Kurt and smiled before leaving, he must have worked down in the nursery while service took place. Kurt was about to get up and find Blaine when the pastor started talking again.

"Such a sweet boy, we need to make sure we keep him in our thoughts and prayers. Jessica has a few words before we start."

 _Oh great, Jessica._ "Hello everyone," she said at the front of the stage. He was already tuning her out. "The Youth Group and I would like to thank you all for the donations on Blaine's behalf. Remember, please come to me or Ms. Cecelia if you would like to donate. So far the church has donated over $50,000 just this month for his treatments and hospital visits." There was a short pause for clapping. "I would like a moment to say thank you to the many individual benefactors, such as my father and his law firm, and those who have been helping with the different fundraising projects." There was another round of applause. "Now, Blaine is extremely shy about taking charity, so please don't mention your donations to him, just tell him to get better and that you are praying for him." She smiled at the crowd and led them in a prayer for Blaine.

Kurt sat through the rest of the service, not wanting to bring attention to himself by leaving early. He didn't meet Blaine afterwards, yet texted him that night to thank him for the song and that he would be bringing Rachel to the lifeguard stand sometime that week to meet him. And he never forgot his 'I love you'.

But there was a question, a question that Kurt should have addressed, yet decided not to think much of, for how complicated could things truly be?


	19. Chapter 19

_Week 9 Day 5_

"And you're going to live with her for four years of college?" Blaine asked in a skeptical tone as they laid side-by-side in the meadow, watching the sun set through the trees.

"She's not  _that_ bad," Kurt told him. "And she's not normally like that..." Kurt paused for a moment. When Kurt introduced Blaine to Rachel she…had some issues to say the least. It wasn't five minutes before she was totally broken down and in tears. And it wasn't truly  _her_ fault. When he brought her to the lifeguard stand for Blaine's first day back at work, Blaine and Kurt had continued their "not wasting anymore time" period, in which the only words that came out of their mouths were how much they loved each other, or how perfect the other one was, and sometimes they would kiss each other on the cheeks at really random moments, causing the other to blush and giggle. It was as if they were starting over again, because they both knew how quickly it could be over. It was also just too much for Rachel to handle.

As soon as she started crying both boys froze, because for some reason, it became easy to slip out of reality, to forget the gravity of their situation. Just because Blaine looked better, and seemed happier, didn't mean he was.

And that's what their life had become, trying to slip in and out of reality, just to keep some form of normalcy. They didn't want this illness to get in the way of the next three and a half weeks they had together.

"Okay…so Rachel can get over-emotional…and controlling…and hyped up in her dreams sometimes, but I don't think New York would be the same without her. She is one of my best friends, along with Mercedes, who I haven't gotten a chance to talk to much lately, but I am definitely going to have you meet her someday."

As soon as he said it Kurt squeezed his eyes shut. It felt so much like it used to, laying in the meadow together, hearing the trees rustle from the breeze, listening to the birds sing their songs, but it would never be exactly like it used to be.

He didn't even know where it came from, but a small sob escaped from his lips, his body lightly convulsing at how hard he was trying to hold it back. It was one of those times where he was brought back to reality, and he didn't know how much of reality he could actually take.

"Hey," Blaine whispered, rolling onto his side and caressing Kurt's cheek, causing him to open his eyes again. "No more tears…"

"It's just," Kurt choked. "You're never going to get to meet her."

"It's okay…please don't cry…" He said, wiping away Kurt's tears. Kurt gradually calmed down, angry that he was still having spontaneous breakdowns when he knew Blaine didn't like to see him cry.

"Do you want to know the first thing I would tell her, if we did ever meet?" Kurt nodded slowly as Blaine looked down into his eyes."I would say thank you, for helping the most wonderful person I know get through high school, so that I could have the honor of meeting and falling in love him someday, and proclaim my love to him in song whenever I could get the chance."

Kurt smiled, trying to pull himself back together. "I still can't believe you declared your love for me in front of your entire church, even if they didn't know who I was."

"Was it really that unbelievable?" Blaine asked, pretending as if his feelings were hurt.

Kurt pretended to think through his decision."Maybe not, you've always been one for surprises."

Blaine smiled and gave Kurt a kiss to his forehead before sitting up and lounging on his arms, looking at the stars that were becoming visible in the night sky. "I'm really glad we got a chance to come out here again," Blaine said. His grandmother had some event at the church and told Blaine he didn't have to go. Kurt didn't really like that Blaine was sneaking out so much behind her back, especially after the last time she caught him not telling the truth.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked shyly as he laid on the blanket Blaine had brought for them.

"Mhm?" he said, not taking his eyes off the stars. Kurt knew how much Blaine loved looking at the stars.

Kurt hadn't asked it yet because he didn't want to make Blaine upset, or maybe he just didn't want to know the answer. "How much trouble were you in after church on Sunday?" Kurt couldn't even fathom how his grandmother must have reacted to him singing a love song, which she must have known was directed toward Kurt.

Kurt watched as Blaine's jaw clenched almost instantly, and he became silent. Kurt waited for him, regretting that he had even asked anything in the first place. But when Blaine finally released the tension, he laid down on his back again, shoulder-to-shoulder with Kurt.

"Not as much as I thought I was going to be," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Why would you do that for me if you knew it could potentially hurt you?"

"Kurt, I've told you, she's only ever physically hurt me once—"

"Hmm, and I guess not letting a sick boy eat is just a normal day for any well functioning family," he sniped, coming off a little harsher than he wanted to.

Blaine paused, like he was thinking through something. "Can I tell you a secret?" Blaine asked, turning toward Kurt again.

"You know you can tell me anything," Kurt said to him, tone becoming sentimental as he turned onto his side as well.

"Well," he paused for a moment and cleared his throat, his voice becoming a whisper. "Well, the truth is that I have two boxes of Rice Crispy Treats, a few dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, and three bags of Doritos hidden under my bed."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. Blaine noticed the sudden change and mood and tried to apologize, "Oh—Kurt, I'm sorry don't—I'm sorry I didn't tell you…crap I—"

"You, had donuts, under your bed, the whole time?" He said rather slowly.

"Yes…"

"You had Krispy Kreme donuts under your bed, and you didn't share them with me?" Kurt pretended to be upset. "I feel cheated out on…"

Blaine smiled, realizing he was just being melodramatic. "Next time we sneak into my room you can have as many donuts as you want, after we bake cakes of course, I don't want you to get sick." He said, using the metaphor for what they usually did when they snuck into Blaine's house.

Kurt sat up and crossed his arms. "And what makes you think I would bake cakes with a donut canoodler such as yourself?"

Blaine laid onto his back and put his hands up behind his head. "Well…judging by the last time, I would think you rather enjoyed it."

"And what gave you that absurd notion?"

"We're still talking about the same thing here, right? Because if I remember correctly, you were pretty into it." He cleared his throat and Kurt could easily tell where this was going. " _Oh Blaine, don't stop, it feels so go—"_

Kurt quickly covered Blaine's mouth with his own in an attempt to shut him up, which did work, even though he could feel Blaine chuckling underneath of him, probably smug that he was winning. "Okay, maybe I did enjoy it," Kurt said while pulling back.

"I enjoyed it too," Blaine said following him up and trying to get another kiss. "I enjoy everything we do together." He closed his eyes and kissed Kurt again, sucking intrepidly on his bottom lip. Kurt kissed back and threaded his fingers through Blaine's hair, breathing in deeply through his nose.

Kurt pulled away after a few moments and pressed their foreheads together."Can we pretend?" Kurt asked softly.

"Pretend what?" Blaine whispered.

"Pretend, just for right now, that we're going to have a future." It was a pretty silly request, but Kurt just wanted to feel, for one last time, like how it used to be.

"What kind of future do you want?"

"Any, as long as it's with you," Kurt said.

"Do you want to know how I see our future?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded slowly and Blaine led them down so they were laying side-by-side on the blanket, looking up at the stars. "I see us like this, looking up at the stars, I don't really know what we're doing there, I personally like to believe we've just gotten married, and we're living the lives we've always wanted."

"I would marry you," Kurt whispered tentatively.

Blaine squeezed his hand tightly. "And while we lay there, I tell you how perfect everything is, and how perfect you are."

"I don't know, I sort of see you rambling on about the different constellations and their seasonal positions in the night sky."

"Okay," Blaine whispered, "That too." He turned his head and kissed Kurt's cheek. "Do you see anything else?"

Kurt thought about it for a few seconds before coming up with something to add. "Well, you being the ever gentleman you are, let me pick our honeymoon destination."

"I did? And what did you pick for us, may I ask?"

"Paris. That's where we are, laying under the Eiffel Tower."

"That sounds nice," Blaine hummed. "But in exchange you let me pick our last name."

"Last name?"

"Hummel-Anderson or Anderson-Hummel, it's actually a pretty big decision."

"I think that's a fair trade. And what did you end up choosing?"

"Anderson-Hummel. You can never go wrong with alphabetical."

"Or is it because it makes your name first?"

"Hey, the gods wanted what the gods wanted, so they made my name first in the alphabet."

"Did they now?" Kurt laughed.

Blaine laughed along before they both quieted and stared at the stars."We could still have this future, maybe if I fought hard enough."

Kurt turned his head to look at Blaine. "All I want is for you to be here as long as you can, with the knowledge that you are loved by someone, with the knowledge that you are loved by me." Kurt didn't really know how he was telling Blaine this without breaking out into tears, but it was something Blaine needed to hear. Kurt needed Blaine to know that if he couldn't win this fight, that he would still be loved no matter what, and that it wasn't his fault if he couldn't make it.

"You don't know how happy you make me," Blaine confessed.

"It's still probably not as happy as you make me," Kurt replied truthfully, because Blaine made him so truly happy, and it was deeper than most people could fathom, because in the grand scheme of things Kurt would give anything for Blaine, a kidney, his bone marrow, and the truth be told, he had already given him his heart.

Kurt went home that night with a different outlook on their situation. Like no matter what happened, he would be happy if Blaine could be happy, and Kurt had a mission to make Blaine as happy as he could possibly be.

* * *

_Week 9 Day 7_

"I think I want to call my dad," Blaine said over the phone. It was Friday night and Kurt was watching a movie in his bedroom, doing nothing extremely productive with his time. Rachel was out with Finn, trying to get their last few hours together before she had to leave tomorrow.

"Why would you want to call your dad?" Kurt asked, surprised that Blaine was even considering it.

"I don't know…It was a dumb idea…" Kurt could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"No, I mean, I just don't know what brought this up. When was the last time you talked to him?" Kurt asked, still skeptical of the whole idea of calling the man who almost put Blaine in the hospital.

"Not since I left…" He said quietly.

"So your own father hasn't spoken to you for almost two years? But, why now?"

"Kurt," he exhaled. "I want to say goodbye."

Kurt was taken aback. "So you're already saying your goodbyes?"

"I think that I need to start making some sort of amends with people…I guess it would be more of me telling him how much he's done for my life. Like sending me here because of something I couldn't change, never letting me speak to my mother, not giving a shit when I was diagnosed with cancer. Things like that. Maybe I'll just tell him how much I hate him…I don't know."

Kurt thought it through for a few moments. "It's not just because you're angry, right?"

"I've been thinking about it for a few weeks actually, and I think that I should get it over with. It's something I really think I need to do to move forward," he said.

Kurt sighed. "If you really need to do it, then I'm not going to stop you," Kurt told him. This was something big for Blaine, and Kurt should be supportive of whatever he chose to do. "In fact, I'll be right there as you call him, holding your hand. Unless you don't want me to be, then I'll just sit at home and make myself a turkey sandwich or something…"

"No, I'd love you to be there. You're probably the reason I'm going to end up thanking him."

"Why would you ever thank him?"

"Well…without him, I would never have met you."

"Do you just have a notebook entitled 'Lines I know will make Kurt cry' hidden under your bed with all those donuts?" Kurt asked sarcastically, whilst wiping a tear of his cheek.

"You're crying?  _Crap_ ," he heard Blaine mutter under his breath.

"I'm used to it," Kurt said. "Ever since my mom died I've always been an easy crier."

"How are the dreams doing?" Blaine asked. Kurt couldn't tell him that they'd been occurring even more frequently than even in the previous week.

"Better…" Kurt knew he was lying, but he didn't want Blaine to feel bad, he wanted him to stay happy, even though he didn't know how happy calling his father would make him in the long run.

"Well, if you ever need me, I'm always just a phone call away," Blaine told him.

"I know, and if you ever need me I'll be right there by your side." Kurt could hear Blaine pause for a yawn. He must be awfully tired after the past couple of weeks.

"You should get some rest, we have plenty of time to talk about this tomorrow."

Blaine yawned again. "Maybe you're right…"

"Aren't I always?" Kurt joked.

Blaine laughed before he said his goodbye. "I love you, Kurt, and I hope you have some very sweet dreams tonight."

"I love you, too. Goodnight, Blaine."

_And then begins another restless night of worrying he won't wake up the next morning._

 


	20. Chapter 20

_Week 10 Day 1_

What woke Kurt up that morning was a loud crash coming from downstairs, quickly followed by a second one, and then a third. Kurt was already out of bed by the second, running his way downstairs with Rachel not far off his trail.

"Is everything alright?" Kurt asked anxiously as he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Stop," Burt said when they came into view, holding out his hand as he was crouching on the ground trying to clean up some broken class. "Everything is fine, there was just a little accident."

"Well I guess that I should start packing now that I'm up," Rachel said tiredly, turning around and going straight back up the stairs.

Aunt Annie was standing in the back corner of the kitchen staring at the broken glass on the ground. "I don't know what happened," she said shakily.

"It's just a few glasses, no harm done," Burt said. Aunt Annie must have had a spell while trying get herself orange juice, which was also spilled across the floor. "Kurt, how about you take Annie back to her room so she doesn't hurt herself," his dad told him in a whisper.

Kurt nodded, things like this were starting to happen all the time. She would forget where she was and totally shut down. Sometimes her memory would come back in a matter of moments, and others it wouldn't come back the whole day. She was starting to look older too, her hair becoming thinner along with her whole body. Kurt had been trying to spend more time with her for the past couple of days, but sometimes constantly being around two sick people, who he loved with all his heart, became too much.

He walked over to Aunt Annie, making sure not to step on any of the broken glass, and led her to her room.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know how that happened," Aunt Annie told Kurt after she was back in her bed. She had been resting a lot more lately too.

"Don't be sorry," Kurt said sitting down in the chair he had pulled up beside her bed. "It was just an accident, like my dad said, no harm done."

Kurt could feel that his hair was a mess, but he couldn't find it in his heart to leave Aunt Annie's side. "Do you want me to read you a book or something?" Kurt asked. He'd been doing that lately, because she still loved to read and it was really hard for her to see the words.

"No, I'd rather just talk to you," she said.

"I'm not that interesting though," Kurt said in a rather depressed tone.

"I know you know that's not true."

"I don't know…"

"Are you feeling okay today?" She asked, seeming concerned.

"I guess it's just pending separation anxiety." It was only three weeks until he would be leaving for New York. Yes, it was only two hours away but he felt like it was so much further than that.

"You've had quite a summer, haven't you?"

Kurt smiled to himself, thinking about everything that's happened. "And strangely, I don't regret it at all."

Aunt Annie held her hand out for him to hold. "So how's Blaine doing?"

"He's fine, he just told me last night that he wants to talk to his dad, but I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I'm pretty sure it's just for closure but…I don't want him to get any more stressed than he already is. It's not good for him."

"Is it important to him, that he talks to his father?"

"I think it is, and I told him that if he needs to do it, then I will be right there by his side."

Aunt Annie patted Kurt's hand. "You are a good young man, you remind me so much of my Johnny." Kurt smiled as she continued, "He left a girl here, when he went to fight in Vietnam. They were so in love it was sickening." She laughed to herself, "It reminds me a lot of you and Blaine. He would have done anything for her."

"What happened to her after he…" Kurt didn't finish his sentence, but she knew what he was talking about.

"She still lives here in Ocean City, and she visits me sometimes. She works at the hospital you went to, I've told her about you and Blaine, and how much you two remind me about her and Johnny."

"But no one can know about—"

"Don't worry, Kurt. She promised she wouldn't tell a soul." Kurt let out a deep breath, Blaine especially didn't want anyone at the hospital knowing he was gay, even though he had already screwed up with the receptionist. "I think she's the reason I know you're going to be okay," she told him.

Kurt looked out the window at the water, "Is she happy?"

"At first it was hard for her, but now she's married with a beautiful family, and I think she's very happy. And you're going to be happy too."

"It's hard for me, to see life without him, to see a different future that he's not in."

"I think he'd want you to be happy, to find someone else who loves you just as much as he does."

Kurt could feel himself start to get emotional, "Can we not talk about this anymore? I just don't like talking about Blaine like he's already gone, like there's no hope."

"I'm sorry, Kurt."

"Don't be." Kurt looked back at Aunt Annie, her eyes sentimental. "I'm really going to miss you when I go to New York," he said, trying to change the subject.

"I am too," she sighed. "Your whole family has been wonderful to me." Kurt knew that once the summer was over Aunt Annie would have to be put in a nursing home, and he also knew how much she didn't want to leave her house.

They talked for a few minutes until Kurt decided Aunt Annie should get rest and that he should help Rachel pack. "You let me know what happens with Blaine, okay?" Aunt Annie asked as Kurt stood up.

"Of course." He bent over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Love you."

"I love you too hun," she said smiling. It was going to be really hard to leave her. It was going to be hard to leave any of his family for that matter. But it would be the hardest to leave Blaine.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm going to be back in New York in less than three hours," Rachel said zipping up her suitcase and setting it against Kurt's bedroom door.

"How would you feel if I gave Blaine a kidney?" Kurt came right out and said it because he'd been thinking about it for a while now. Rachel looked a little thrown off at first, but then her face softened and she walked over to him.

"Does he need one?" Rachel asked, sitting at the edge of the bed next to Kurt.

"Blaine told me his grandmother told him the results of his last surgery, and that the cancer has spread to both kidneys. I was doing some research, and the only thing left to do is a kidney transplant."

"I don't know Kurt, how much would it help?"

Kurt knew it wouldn't help more than keep him alive for a few extra months. "I have to try something…I feel like I'm just sitting here doing nothing while he's suffering."

"You can't feel guilty about this. I can tell how much Blaine practically worships the ground you walk on, and I also think you've done more for him than you even know."

"But I'm leaving him and he needs me here, that's selfish of me, right?"

"He'd want you to follow your dreams Kurt." There is was again, people talking about Blaine like he was already gone.

There was a knock on the door and Finn opened it slowly. "Burt wants to leave soon so he can get back before dark," he said. Finn and Burt were driving Rachel to New York so they could get her settled in her and Kurt's apartment.

Rachel nodded and turned to Kurt, shrugging her shoulders. "I guess that's my cue." She gave him a big hug, "Just make sure you think about it, but I'll be behind whatever you choose to do."

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling away. He was thankful that Rachel was understanding, because he believed that when she saw them together, she truly realized how much they loved each other.

* * *

_Week 10 Day 4_

After much debate, Blaine and Kurt chose this day to talk to Blaine's father. Aunt Annie was having a small surgery and would be needing to stay overnight at the hospital, so Burt and Carole would be out of the house until late. Finn was in New York with Rachel helping her unpack and get the apartment ready.

Blaine had asked Jessica to cover for him at the lifeguard stand, claiming that he wasn't feeling well. Obviously she took over for him, almost enthusiastically because she was "so happy she could help Blaine during this rough time". Kurt really didn't like that girl, and he had yet to tell Blaine she was the reason he found out he was sick in the first place.

Blaine was going to come over about three, having already found his father's number in a drawer at his place. Kurt didn't like the idea of him snooping around, in case his grandmother found out, but he also knew it was the only way Blaine would be able to do what he truly wanted.

Blaine rang the doorbell at two, saying that he couldn't wait any longer to see him. The last time they had seen each other was at the meadow.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kurt asked as they sat on the edge on the bed, hand in hand.

"I just, I need to do this," Blaine said, looking down at the phone in his hands.

"Do you know what you're going to say?"

Blaine looked at their intertwined hands and then up into Kurt's eyes. "All I know right now is that I'm going to tell him about you, and how him sending me here was the best thing he could have ever done for me."

Kurt gave him a kiss and squeezed his hand. "I believe in you."

Blaine nodded and took the piece of paper with the phone number on it and dialed it into the phone. He took a while to hit the call button, but finally did after taking a long breath. He held the phone to his ear, and Kurt was almost shaking with anticipation.

"Hello?" Blaine asked. "Hi—uh, is Benjamin Anderson available? Yes, I'll hold." Blaine covered the phone with his hand. "I assumed my dad would be at work—oops she's trying to tell me something." Kurt scooted in closer to Blaine and squeezed his hand harder. "Umm…I'm calling from the insurance company…yes…mhm…okay."

"Why didn't you tell her you're his son?" Kurt asked in whisper.

"Because," Blaine whispered, "he wouldn't take the call if he knew it was me. And this way he'll be surprised, and you know how much I love surprises." They waited a few more minutes until it seemed like someone was answering. Kurt watched as Blaine tensed. It must have been his father.

"Benjamin Anderson? Hi, this is your son, Blaine Anderson, you know, the one you kicked out for 'choosing' to be gay, the one you haven't spoken to in two years…" Blaine was already sounding angry. "Don't give me that crap"…"Well, actually it's quite the opposite, because I called you to thank you for sending me here."…"Yes, thank you, because by sending me here I have found the light of my life so to speak."…"Yes it's a he." There was a long pause. "Well you know what dad? He's ten times the man you'll ever be. He's taking care of me. And you? You're just sitting there, probably happy that I'm dying."…"How can you say that? How can you possibly just not care about your own son?"

Kurt squeezed his hand even harder and held it up to his lips, trying to keep Blaine calm. There was another pause, and Kurt could hear Blaine's dad yelling on the other end. Kurt glanced over at Blaine and saw that he was crying, which made Kurt's heart hurt. "Why? I'm your son, you're supposed to love me, you're supposed to take care of me."..." Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder, hoping the closeness would let Blaine know that he was there for him. "That's a lie and you know it! You have never done anything for me, ever."…"What? Where is she?"…"Dad? Hello?" Blaine took the phone away from his ear and then quickly threw it at the ground.

"Blaine…"

Blaine pulled out of Kurt's grip and started pacing the room. "He told me to rot in hell," he said, tears streaming down his face. "I don't even know why I care. I hate him so much, I shouldn't care what he tells me."

"It's okay to be upset…"

"It's just…Why doesn't he care about me Kurt?" He stopped and looked at him, face covered in total hurt and anger, which Kurt barely saw any of. Blaine hardly became angry around him.

Kurt stood and walked over to Blaine, taking both of his hands and threading their fingers together. "If he is unable to see how much of a man you have become over these two years, then he doesn't deserve for you to think twice about him."

Blaine looked away from him. "Maybe it's better that I'm never going to be able to have children. I'll probably turn out just like him anyway."

"Don't you dare say that," Kurt said. Blaine looked back up at him, eyes red and puffy but the crying stopped. "You would be nothing like your father. You would be an amazing dad, and you would accept your children for who they were, which your father can't, and I know you would love them more than anything else in this world." Kurt remembered how Blaine worked at the nursery every Sunday, and how he always helped the children at the lifeguard stand.

"I don't know if I could love anyone more than I love you," Blaine said, a small smile coming to his lips.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and held him there. "I love you so much," he whispered into his ear.

"I love you too," he said back to him.

Kurt held him there for a few more minutes. How could a father not care if their own son died? How could someone be that heartless?

Kurt wondered what else his father must have said to him, but he didn't ask. If Blaine wanted to talk about it then he would let him talk, but he wasn't going to ask him for anything more than what he was capable of.

They were eventually laying on the bed, Kurt had his hand wrapped around Blaine's stomach, holding him tight and trying to help him calm down. His breathing did eventually slow, and Kurt could feel the tension start to melt from his body.

"He said she left him," Blaine said quietly.

"Who?"

"My dad said my mom left him a few weeks ago, that their divorce just became final."

"Maybe that's why she was trying to call you, maybe she wants to help you."

"She never cared about me then. I doubt she cares about me now," Blaine deadpanned.

Kurt didn't say anything more. He knew this was going to happen, but that's what Kurt was there for, to help Blaine through these rough times, to make him feel loved and happy again.

"Kurt?" Blaine asked innocently.

"Yes Blaine?"

"What did your mom look like?"

Kurt shut his eyes and tried to imagine his mom, "From what I remember, she was very beautiful. I can still hear her laugh sometimes. It was my favorite sound, and was for a long time, but then it changed."

"What 's it now?"

"Your laugh." Kurt said truthfully.

Blaine turned over to face Kurt, taking his hand and kissing his knuckles. "I'm sorry you haven't been hearing it much lately."

"It just makes it that much more special when I do. And especially when I make you laugh, it's the best feeling in the world."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" Blaine asked.

Kurt smiled to himself and looked into the golden eyes staring straight at him. "I might just say the exact same thing about you."

Blaine rested his hand on Kurt's hip and leaned in, kissing him softly, his lips warm. Kurt laid his hand on Blaine's cheek, which was still red from crying, it was warm too, and Kurt did like it better than when he was sick and cold. Blaine slid his hands under Kurt's shirt, rubbing lightly at his side, the feeling making Kurt's body tingle.

"I really wish I could save you," Kurt murmured, breaking away from their kiss. "Like you saved me."

Blaine gave a small kiss to the side of Kurt's mouth and closed his eyes, whispering back, "You already have."

Kurt rested his hand on the back of his neck, closing his eyes and kissing Blaine as if he could never let him go. He pulled himself closer, so their bodies were pressed right up against each other. Blaine slid his hand up Kurt's chest under his shirt, brushing against Kurt's nipple and causing Kurt to whimper at the touch.

"Sorry," Blaine mumbled, pulling his hand away.

"No, it's fine, don't stop," Kurt said in-between kisses.

Blaine took that as encouragement to start something more and started kissing Kurt's jaw line. After a few moments he slowly pushed him onto his back, and straddled Kurt's hips while continuing a trail of kisses from his jaw to his collarbone. Kurt took his hands and slid them in the back of Blaine's jeans, feeling Blaine's breath hitch as he did.

"You're perfect," Blaine breathed as he nipped at the side of his neck. "So, so perfect."

Kurt could feel his face turn red at Blaine's words. "Off," he muttered, pulling at Blaine's shirt.

Blaine sat up and pulled his shirt off, revealing a much tanner and filled out abdomen than last time he'd seen him shirtless. Kurt licked his lips subconsciously and pulled Blaine down for another kiss, suddenly becoming very aroused. Kurt put his hands over his head and let Blaine take off his shirt, making sure he at least folded it a little nicely before throwing it on the ground.

Before they knew it they were both fully unclothed, heat radiating throughout the room. Kurt's breathing picked up as Blaine rolled his hips down, rubbing their cocks together.

Blaine held Kurt's arms above his head and slowly started kissing down his body, starting at his forehead, then down his cheeks and jawline, then to his neck, spending a particularly long time sucking right where Kurt liked it best.

"I love you," Kurt told him again, his heart racing.

"I love you too," Blaine said in return, his voice muffled against Kurt's neck. He let go of Kurt's arms and moved down to his chest, where he sucked hard on Kurt's nipple.

" _Oh god,_ " Kurt moaned, Blaine was being so incredibly slow and tantalizing, but Kurt wanted more, he wanted everything. "I want you to make love to me," Kurt breathed. He moaned loudly as Blaine reacted by bucking hard.

Blaine pulled away and looked down at him. "But…"

After realizing what he just said Kurt blushed, suddenly feeling self-conscious. This was Blaine, he wanted to remember him as his first, his first love, his first everything. "I—"

"Do you have like, stuff?" He asked. Kurt exhaled and pointed to the side table drawer, where he kept some lube and condoms, which he had bought a few weeks before he found out Blaine was sick, because they had been going so fast at the time.

Blaine pulled them out of the drawer and sat them on the bed. "Are you sure?" He asked, picking up the lube and holding it in his hands.

Kurt nodded and watched as Blaine moved in between his legs and squirted some lube onto his fingers, rubbing it around. "I've never done this before, to someone," Blaine said, a little unsure.

"I know, I haven't either. But I've read about it and…tried it on myself a few times…"

Blaine looked somewhat surprised by the confession. "Well, umm, you have to tell me if I'm hurting you, okay?"

Kurt nodded again and tilted his hips up as Blaine lowered himself so he was hovering over Kurt, supporting himself with one arm.

Blaine slowly moved his hand down and started circling around Kurt's entrance with his index finger. Kurt bucked his hips at the initial feeling, everything feeling so different and new.

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut as Blaine gradually slipped his finger inside. "Are you okay?" Blaine asked, his voice concerned.

"Yeah, it just stings a little," Kurt said. "Keep going." Kurt knew that after a while the pleasure would take over the pain.

Blaine pushed his finger in all the way, waiting until Kurt seemed to have relaxed before moving. He slowly pushed in and out, making sure that Kurt wasn't in any pain. After the initial sting subsided, Kurt started moaning loudly, needing more. "Add another," he told him rather quickly.

"Are you sure?"

" _Yes_ ," he whimpered. "Please, more."

Blaine pulled his finger out and before Kurt knew it he was pressing two inside of him, which elicited a whine from Kurt's lips. Blaine started scissoring his fingers, stretching Kurt open.

He curled his fingers down and hit the spot that Kurt knew would make him unravel. " _Oh my god, Blaine,_ " he moaned.

It continued like this for a while, Blaine eventually adding a third and even a fourth finger, but Kurt needed Blaine inside of him, now. " _Blaine_ …" Blaine took the hint and pulled his fingers out, which caused Kurt to whine at the emptiness.

"Are you ready?" Blaine asked after he put on the condom and lube.

"Please…" Kurt was almost close to begging.

Blaine nodded and slowly lowered himself onto Kurt, finding Kurt's entrance and very steadily pushing himself inside.

Once he was all the way inside, Blaine froze, because Kurt's face scrunched up as if he was in pain. "Am I hurting you?" Blaine asked, trying to be as careful as possible.

"No, it's just different," he said. "Just…don't move."

Blaine didn't start moving until Kurt was completely ready, both boys moaning as he started rocking his hips. Kurt wrapped his legs around Blaine's back, pulling him closer. The only thing you could hear in the room was the sound of their heavy breathing and moans.

Blaine held Kurt's hands above his head as he thrusted, sucking hard at the side of his neck. "You're so gorgeous Kurt," he gasped across his neck.

"Blaine," he moaned. Kurt started moving his hips in time with Blaine's rhythm. "Right there, don't stop." Blaine did the exact opposite, thrusting faster and harder, hitting Kurt's prostate almost every time.

Kurt came with a shout, his whole body unraveling and convulsing. Blaine pressed his forehead against Kurt's and kept going until he finally came as well, hips moving sporadically.

Blaine collapsed right on top of Kurt, their sweat mixing together and the sound of their heartbeats filling their ears. They were silent for a few moments after they finally calmed down, their breathing becoming steady. "I'm never going to forget you," Kurt said breathlessly. "This summer…any of it…I'll never forget it."

* * *

After they cleaned up they laid under the sheets for a while, just holding each other tightly. Kurt felt closer to Blaine in a way, if that was even possible. They had already been through so much together, and Kurt knew that this summer had changed his life forever. Maybe it made him a better person, because he learned to care for someone besides himself. He also knew he would never forgot what Blaine had taught him about how to love.

"Why did you ask me what my mother looked like?" Kurt asked curiously.

Blaine was silent for a few moments before finally answering. "I was thinking…that if there is a heaven, and if God let me go there, seeing how much I have suffered through, I could find her for you, and tell her what a loving, wonderful person you have become."

Kurt didn't believe in God, but somewhere in his heart he wished there secretly was a heaven, just to know Blaine would be alright.

The phone started ringing out of nowhere, which startled Kurt. "One second," he told Blaine, sitting up and grabbing the phone off of his night stand.

"Dad? What's wrong?" he asked when he heard his father's voice on the other end.

"Kurt, Aunt Annie's had a stroke."

And just with those few words, Kurt felt like the whole world was out to get him.


	21. Chapter 21

_Week 10 Day 5_

Kurt walked his way slowly across the beach, his eyes fixed on Blaine as he sat at the lifeguard stand. There wasn't many people around, just a few families playing in the water or building sandcastles, the overcast making the day gloomy. Although Kurt didn't think the day could get any worse than it already had been.

Once he made it to the stand he knocked on the wood, getting Blaine's attention. "Hey," he said softly when Blaine looked over at him.

"Oh Kurt," Blaine said sympathetically as he jumped off. Did he really look as bad as he felt?

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt pulled him in tight. Kurt tried to pull away, "Blaine, there's people…"

"You're more important to me than what those people think, or what they decide to say about us." After hearing those words Kurt automatically hugged Blaine back, realizing how much he needed to be in Blaine's arms. "How is she?" Blaine asked.

Kurt didn't pull away, instead he just held Blaine tighter. He'd just gotten back from visiting Aunt Annie at the hospital, the stroke not killing her, but no leaving her any better than if she was. "She can't talk, and I don't even know if she knows who I am."

"I'm sorry. For all of this." Blaine pulled away and led Kurt to the base of the lifeguard stand to sit with him. Kurt held his arms around his knees and looked at the water, it was the closest he had been in weeks.

"I just don't know how much more of this I can take…" It was becoming so much harder for Kurt now to not spontaneously burst out into tears or lock himself away in his room so he could just forget about the world, and pretend he was going to have a happy ending. He looked around at all the families and how they were happy, how they were smiling even when the sun wasn't shining. Why couldn't he be like that? Why couldn't he just be happy? "I've been thinking about something lately…"

"What is it?" Blaine asked, scooting closer so they could hear each other over the sound of the waves.

"Have you ever thought about getting a kidney transplant?" Blaine was already shaking his head. "Just hear me out on this…but I was thinking, that if I was a match, I could give you my kidney…"

"Kurt, no…" He placed his hand on Kurt's knee. "I can't let you do that for me."

"Why not? I'm willing to do it and it could help you get better. We could go talk to Dr. Martin together, your grandmother doesn't even have to know."

Blaine shook his head. "You are helping me enough already, don't think that you have to do anything more than you already are. Besides, I haven't even seen Dr. Martin personally in months, a transplant might not even be an option."

"But what if I want to do it? I want to help you. Let me help you."

"I'm not letting you give me your kidney, okay?"

"Blaine—"

"I said no. Now I really don't want to talk about this anymore." Blaine moved a few inches away and totally checked himself out of the conversation. Kurt didn't understand what Blaine's problem was. Kurt wanted to do it.

Kurt stood up and started walking back to the house, somewhat upset that Blaine wouldn't even consider his offer. "Kurt, where are you going?" Blaine asked as he stood up as well and started following Kurt.

Kurt turned around and threw his arms in the air. "Why don't you want me to help you? This could be my last chance to save you, and you won't even think about it."

"You can't just think about me, you have to think about your future too."

"I am thinking about my future. And the future I want involves you."

"Why can't we just be happy together for the time we have left? I don't want the last weeks of my life to be watching you from a hospital bed. You need to go to college and live your life, and I need to stay here and try to survive mine."

"But this could save you. This could give you a future."

"You can't keep believing in a future that doesn't exist. It won't ever exist, Kurt."

"But why can't I try? After all we did yesterday…" Kurt noticed there were people staring at them, probably because their voices were starting to rise. He pulled Blaine behind the lifeguard stand and started to whisper. "You're just being so- ugh. You're being so…"

"What am I being Kurt?"

"You're just being so selfish!"

"I don't think I'm being the selfish one here…"

"How am I being selfish? I'm willing to give everything to you."

"But you aren't respecting my wishes…" He looked around for a moment and then came back to conversation. "How about we talk about this later, okay? I'll stop by on my way home."

"Don't bother, it was a stupid idea anyway," Kurt mumbled as he pushed past Blaine and started walking home again.

"It wasn't stupid, Kurt." He started running after him. "Come on, don't go." He grabbed Kurt's arm and tried to turn him around. "I don't want us to leave each other angry."

"I'm not angry…" He looked at Blaine, his heart wrenching in his chest. How could he ever be angry at him? "I'm just tired of not being able to help you. And I know you say I am, but I feel like I could be doing so much more."

Blaine took his hand and squeezed it. "And you wonder why I say I don't deserve you," he mused.

They smiled at each other for a few moments. "You should be getting back to work Mr. Anderson," Kurt said smugly as he let go of Blaine's hand.

"I should, shouldn't I?" Blaine smiled and started running back to the stand. "Oh, I forgot to tell you to come over on Friday!" Blaine yelled. "My grandma has some church thing so I'm free."

Kurt gave him a thumbs up and ran back to his house, remembering why he knew if they could try, they would make it on their own.

* * *

_Week 10 Day 7_

"'When they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things . . . Atticus, he was real nice. . . .'" Kurt read aloud as he sat in the hospital chair next to Aunt Annie's bed. Kurt looked up and saw that Aunt Annie was fast asleep, but yet he continued the story. "His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. 'Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.'" Kurt finished the last sentence and closed the book. He had been coming to the hospital for the last two days to read to her. He'd been reading to her for four hours straight both days, but now visiting hours were over and Kurt had to leave, as much as he wished he could stay. The rest of the family had been in and out, and Kurt knew especially how hard all of this must have been on Carole, who saw her almost as her own mother.

Aunt Annie couldn't remember anything about her life before the stroke. It was like her mind was a clean slate. However,  _To Kill a Mockingbird_ had always been her favorite book, and he knew it still was somewhere deep down inside.

Kurt stood and gave Aunt Annie a kiss on the forehead and left the book at her bedside. There were flowers engulfing the room, some from the family, some from her friends around the city, and some even from Kurt's friends who had heard about the stroke.

He took the elevator down from the sixth floor, deciding that he would go straight to Blaine's. As the elevator descended, it only stopped on the fourth floor, the floor of cancer treatment, and let one person on, who hit the one button and stood next to him as the doors closed.

Once he realized who it was, she was already talking to him, "Good evening Kurt, different floor today I see," Dr. Martin said, smiling at him. Kurt remembered her as the woman who allowed him to see Blaine that one day, when he didn't know whether he was dead or alive. He owed her a lot.

Kurt nodded solemnly. "Yes, my Aunt Annie had a stroke, and I've been coming to read to her."

"Oh no, do you know what room she is in?" She asked, her voice growing a worried tone.

The doors opened and they both stepped out at the first floor. "Umm…yeah. She's in room 605, up on the sixth floor," he said as she took her notepad out and wrote the number down. "Do you know her?"

"She was going to be my mother-in-law at one time, but then…" Her face started to look distressed, and Kurt automatically realized. She was the girl who Johnny left behind. That's how she knew he and Blaine were together, that's why she helped them.

"Dr. Martin, may I speak with you about something?" Kurt asked. If Blaine didn't want to talk about a transplant with her, maybe Kurt could do it on his own.

"Well my office is back upstairs, if you wouldn't mind talking about it over dinner, that would be great. And of course by dinner I mean food court."

Kurt and Dr. Martin made their way to the food court, both grabbing sandwiches and sitting in a table in the corner. "So what would you like to talk to me about Kurt? Is it about Blaine?"

"Actually, it involves both of us…" He took a deep breath before asking. "Is there any way to give Blaine a kidney transplant…with me as the donor?"

The look on her face became confused. "Has Blaine mentioned to you anything about going back on chemotherapy?" She asked. Kurt had no idea what she was talking about, Blaine couldn't go back on chemo, he already told him that.

"What do you mean?"

"Blaine doesn't need a kidney, eventually he would need bone marrow, but that would be if he decided to go back on chemo. I know he really doesn't want to but…"

"What are you saying?" Kurt was so confused. Blaine said he couldn't go back on chemo…

"The test we took at the beginning of the year was…there were many errors. We had thought we found cancer in his kidneys, irreversible by any type of treatment, but the last biopsy we took found no cancer whatsoever on his kidneys, and the original cancer had regressed farther than we thought possible. We said he could go back on treatment, but he didn't want to. I thought you might be able to help him change his mind."

"But…he's been so sick. The cancer is what made him really sick, he had to be in the hospital for a week," Kurt argued.

"The last biopsy we took left him with a horrible infection, that's what caused him to be in the hospital for so long, not the cancer. Has he not told you any of this?"

"He…he told me…"

Dr. Martin took his hand and looked him in the eyes sympathetically. "Sometimes people just don't want to be saved, and there is nothing you, or anyone can do about it. Blaine's been through a lot, and as much as any of us try, he's just lost the will to live."

Kurt stood up from the table, his mind clouded and unable to fully process what he'd just heard. "I have to go," he said taking his tray with him.

"Kurt…" She called after him, but he was already gone, walking as fast as his legs could carry him. Blaine could get better all this time? Why didn't he tell him? Is that why he was so against the thought of the kidney transplant? Because there couldn't be one in the first place?

But…the look in Blaine's eyes, that wasn't the look of someone trying to kill themselves, that was the look of someone scared of dying, someone who wanted to stay alive, someone who was fighting.

It must have been a lie. She must have been lying to him. All this time he had been preparing himself for Blaine's death, but he could have been better all along? Blaine wouldn't do that to him, no, he wasn't going to get angry, or upset, or act out irrationally until he heard it from Blaine.

* * *

Kurt knocked on Blaine's window, his grandmother's car gone and the air still hot.

Blaine was sitting on his bed, his arms wrapped around the many pillows that lay there, probably imagining that they were Kurt, trying to imagine that he was holding him. Blaine wouldn't have lied about this, he wouldn't have.

Blaine motioned for him to come in, that the window was unlocked. He opened the window and climbed into the bedroom, his whole body numb. Blaine could be…okay?

Kurt left the window open and stood against the wall, wanting to scream and cry and laugh all at the same time. Blaine could be okay, he could get better, but she said he could have known, that he didn't want to get better. What was happening?

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked when Kurt didn't move for at least a minute.

Kurt didn't answer him. There were plenty of things not right. Blaine said the cancer had traveled to both kidneys, but the doctor said there was none on his kidneys whatsoever. Who was the one lying?

Blaine walked up to him and put his hands on his shoulders, searching for his eyes. "What's wrong Kurt? Is Annie okay?"

Kurt looked back up at him, finding the same, sweet eyes as he'd always known. "Do you love me?" Kurt whispered, his eyes filling with tears but nothing falling.

"Of course I do. Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Why were you so against the idea of a transplant?" He asked, not even answering Blaine's question.

"What happened? Come on, we'll talk about it, it'll be okay." Blaine took his hand and tried to lead him to the bed, but Kurt wouldn't move.

"Your doctor told me…when I was at the hospital…that you were choosing not to be saved," Kurt's voice faltered, how could he not want to be saved?

"I was, at the beginning, but now it's too late, I've told you that."

"She said you were choosing not to start chemotherapy, that they had screwed up the tests or something, and they can start it again."

Blaine backed away and sat on the edge of his bed, his face almost more confused than Kurt's. "I…but she told me there was nothing they could do, that it was over."

"Who told you that?"

"My grandmother, she told me the doctors talked to her after my last surgery and it was getting worse." He looked up at Kurt, a pleading look in his eyes. "I haven't lied to you, I promised I wouldn't lie to you anymore, you have to believe me." He looked almost, scared, like Kurt was going to leave him again. "You don't realize how much something like this would change your life. Yes it's just a kidney but you would have to be careful all of your life. I couldn't leave you with something like that."

The more Kurt thought about it, the more he sensed something was wrong.

Kurt took a few steps forward towards Blaine and froze, the realization hitting him, the question he always should have asked: How did $50,000 dollars mean there was no money coming in?

"Blaine?" He said slowly, the wheels in his head turning. "Where is your grandmother tonight?"

"Some benefit at the church, she has them twice a week."

"Do you know what it's for?"

Blaine thought about it for a few moments and then shook his head. "Some charity?"

"Do you think it could be for you?"

"For me?" He looked so confused that Kurt automatically knew.

"So you don't know the church has been raising thousands of dollars for your cancer treatment?"

Blaine looked at him, the words probably not registering in his brain. "What? No, she can't, we're broke, how—"

Kurt covered his hand over his mouth. "Oh my god. Blaine…" He gasped.

"What? Kurt, please tell me what's going on."

The money, that was a way of controlling him when she had absolutely nothing she could control him with, she knew she didn't have anything. That was the way of making him feel guilty, so he would do what she said and feel like he needed to depend on her.

"She's been exploiting your illness for money." Kurt ran his fingers through his hair. How did he not see the signs?

Blaine was silent for a while, his face slowly losing the confused look it had before. "You mean, she's been taking money for the church, and pretending to use it on me?"

"Pretending? Has she not been using it on you?"

"Before I turned eighteen the hospital was paying for a lot of my chemo, which cost a fortune. I only went to the hospital twice this summer, which cost an extremely small amount compared to what I was doing before. How much is she… I still just…what?"

All of this was news to Blaine. How could it be news to the person who the charity was for? Jessica had said he was shy about taking charity, which must have been his grandmother's code for 'didn't know he was getting charity at all'.

"Just this month alone they've raised $50,000 for you. So it's probably tripled that just this summer. What do they think it's been paying for?"

"The medicine costs a lot because we don't have insurance, and the blood transfusions did too, because they cause me to have a hospital stay. But then she stopped them…" Blaine's eyes became wide, like he was finally realizing. "My dad, he told me something over the phone, but I didn't believe him."

"What did he tell you?"

"He said he was sending money to my grandmother to pay for my treatments, because he didn't want her to run out because of me. But I told him he was lying. I thought he was lying…"

"Oh my god." She's been getting enough money to pay for five people to get cancer treatment.

"Kurt…Is my grandmother trying to…"

"I think your grandmother is trying to kill you," Kurt finished. His grandmother had made him stop all those things for a reason, and then she wasn't telling him he could start chemo again. She must have known he could get better. But then all the money would go to where it was supposed to, and not her bank account.

Kurt started pacing the room. She'd been making money off of his illness, and the only way to keep making money off of his illness was to keep him sick. If he could get better, then she would have to spend all the money she had on chemo, and then the donations would stop after he got better.

As Kurt paced the room he looked at Blaine, who had his face buried in his hands. He realized quickly that he was crying and went to sit by his side. "Blaine, it's going to be okay. We're going to get you out of here. She's not going to hurt you anymore."

Blaine looked at Kurt with his tear filled eyes. And then he started…laughing? Why was Blaine laughing? "Why are you laughing?"

"Because, I'm going to get better. I can get better for you now." Blaine took Kurt's face in his hands as Kurt realized what exactly all of this meant.

Kurt closed his eyes and he felt tears fall down his cheeks. "Am I dreaming?" He asked softly.

"No," Blaine said, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "You're perfectly awake."

No matter how horrible the circumstances were, Kurt felt something he hadn't felt since before he found out Blaine was sick. Hope. Pure hope.

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at Blaine, who was smiling at him. "I can see a future," Blaine told him. "I can really see it."

Kurt threw his arms around him and felt his heart beating faster than he ever thought possible. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"I'm sorry I didn't leave with you when I had the chance."

"I'm sorry I didn't figure this out sooner."

"I'm sorry that I fell for all of this."

Kurt chuckled softly. "We shouldn't be sorry."

"I know." Blaine kissed him on the cheek and pulled away. "What are we going to do now?"

What were they going to do? Obviously Blaine's grandmother had some serious mental issues that needed to be brought to light. "Well, first of all we are getting you out of this house." Kurt said, pulling Blaine off the bed.

Blaine nodded. "Should I pack, or something?"

"Maybe we can come back tomorrow," Kurt told him. "I feel like this will all be over soon."

"And I'll be okay?"

"You'll be okay," Kurt repeated. It was something he never thought he would ever say.

* * *

Kurt and Blaine walked into the hospital together that night, thinking it would be best to bring the news to Dr. Martin herself, to see if all of this was really true. Kurt didn't tell his father what was happening, thinking it might make everything much more confusing and chaotic than it already was. And besides, Kurt and Blaine still didn't truly know what was going on.

As they walked into the lobby Kurt noticed the same receptionist from when he tried to visit Blaine. And as before, she still had the worst fashion sense of anyone he had ever seen.

"Excuse me?" Kurt asked when they made it to the front desk. As before the woman didn't take her eyes off the computer. "Hello?" He said, the annoyance already showing through.

She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. "And what do you want?"

"Yes, we would like to talk to Dr. Martin, if that is all possible."

The woman shrugged her shoulders. "She's probably busy." She popped her gum and turned back to her computer.

"Well could you check?" Kurt asked. "It's actually really important."

"And you think what I'm doing isn't important?" Actually he didn't think it was important, not as important as Blaine's life.

"Kurt, I'll deal with this," Blaine said and Kurt stepped to the side. "Hi, my name is Blaine Anderson." The woman looked up him, probably realizing that he was the person Kurt was looking for the first time they met. "Yes, my boyfriend and I needed to see Dr. Martin like yesterday, and it's really life or death…So it would be great if you could just you know, pick up your little phone right there and call her. The faster you dial the better because I just learned not even an hour ago that my grandmother is trying to kill me." The woman's mouth dropped open and the gum fell out of her mouth. "Yes, it's very shocking. Even though the more I think about it the less shocking it becomes."

Kurt was shocked at Blaine's blatancy as well. "You just called me…"

"Well, you are my boyfriend, and I don't think we need to hide it anymore. Actually…" Blaine looked around and spotted someone in the waiting room. "I think she goes to my church." Blaine threaded his fingers through Kurt's and kissed his cheek. It felt really weird showing affection in public, and he hoped they would be doing it a lot more often.

The woman handed them a pass and told them Dr. Martin would be out of a meeting within ten minutes. Although they didn't bother thanking her.

* * *

"But how is this possible?" Dr. Martin asked as Kurt and Blaine sat in front of her in the office.

"Well I haven't spoken to you personally in months. Why is that?" Blaine asked right back at her.

"I sent nurses to go tell you. They told me they told you and that you wouldn't even listen to them…" She held up her finger and dialed her phone, calling a nurse. After she finished she told Kurt and Blaine that they were going through Blaine's grandmother for all medical purposes, that she had convinced them Blaine was going to kill himself if any of the doctors ever tried to make him go back on chemo again.

"Well obviously that was a lie," Kurt interjected. "Is there a way we can just arrest his grandmother in front of the whole church or something?"

Blaine took Kurt's hand and continued. "She's been lying to all of us. But all I want to know right now are my chances if I start back on chemotherapy."

Dr. Martin smiled. "They are good. But we have to start as soon as possible."

From having no chances to good chances. Kurt thought he was in a dream. One of the greatest dreams he had ever had. But it was real, it was all real.

Both boys still looked shocked from it all. Both still weren't believing it. Blaine was going to be okay…

Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand and looked at him, tears in his eyes, but they were tears of happiness. Blaine had tears in his eyes too, "You've saved me, Kurt."

And that was all Kurt had ever wanted, and that was what he finally was going to get: To save Blaine's life.


	22. Chapter 22

_Week 11 Day 1_

It seemed as if everything was now set in motion.

Blaine's grandmother was arrested, the police met her at the house when she came home from the church that night, the benefit making over one-thousand dollars. She was charged with fraud and attempted murder, and Blaine had the choice of whether or not he wanted to press assault charges.

The doctors also examined Blaine's head injury upon Kurt's request that night at the hospital, finding that the area was still swollen, which was causing the recurring fevers Blaine was having. Blaine had thought the fevers were due to an allergic reaction to the blood transfusions, which is why he wasn't upset when his grandmother made him stop them.

Blaine moved into Aunt Annie's house that night after they left the hospital. Carole welcomed him with open arms after she learned about what happened, and Burt wasn't objecting to it either, angry that someone would be able to put their own grandchild through that kind of torture.

The more they talked to Dr. Martin that night the more Kurt realized it wasn't over. Blaine was still sick, he still had cancer, and it wasn't going to go away without a fight. As the initial shock went away so did the initial feeling of hope. Kurt wondered whether or not he should allow himself to hope, because if he did, and Blaine didn't get better, Kurt thought he might not be able to stand the pain. How are you supposed to find hope again once it has been totally taken away from you?

Kurt also felt extremely guilty, which he knew he shouldn't, but something inside him kept saying  _you should have figured this out sooner_. If he had left without figuring out what Blaine's grandmother was doing to him, he would have died, and it would have been his fault. And that is all he could think about that night as he tried to sleep.  _What if…_

* * *

Surprisingly, Kurt woke up early that morning, his mind hardly believing what had happened the day before. He took a shower and went downstairs, finding that no one was up yet. He decided to make himself some coffee, and as he was pouring the water into the coffee maker, Blaine walked into the kitchen. The last night was probably the first good night of sleep Blaine had in a while, and he probably finally felt some relief, some safety that he didn't feel with his grandmother. "Hey," Blaine said, his voice groggy and not quite awake.

"Hey," Kurt replied. "Would you like some coffee?"

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist from behind, hugging him tightly. "I'd love some." He kissed the back of Kurt's neck and hummed. "You smell nice."

Kurt turned on the coffee maker and laughed. "Blaine…" He protested when Blaine's lips started moving up the side of his neck. "My parents are sleeping right above our heads."

"We'll have to be quiet then, won't we?" Blaine whispered, ghosting his lips against his skin, slowly turning Kurt around.

They started kissing leisurely, trying not to rush anything. After a few minutes the coffee maker beeped and forced them to break apart. They both laughed as they looked at each other, their lips swollen and their hair even messier than it already was. "This is what it's going to be like every morning," Blaine said, running his hands down Kurt's sides. "When I get better and come to live with you in New York."

Kurt slowly turned back around and started pouring the coffee. "We shouldn't think like that so soon," he said.

"Didn't you hear what she told us? I can start chemo again, I'm going to get better for you."

"Yes, but…We don't even know when you'll start again. And we don't even know how we're going to pay for it, or where you'll get your treatment at. What if it doesn't work or I was too late?"

"How would you have been too late?"

Kurt walked to the kitchen table and sat down, Blaine following after and sitting in the chair next to him. "I should have seen the signs, I should have known immediately after that day when I came to see you sing at the church something was wrong. Even when I found out you were sick from Jessica I should have connected the dots."

Blaine looked confused."You found out from Jessica? How did that happen?"

"She told me about how her church group was raising money for you and…" Kurt buried his face into his hands. "See? If I had told you that we would have figured it out weeks ago."

Blaine rubbed his back lovingly. "You have nothing to feel guilty about, Kurt. If anything, I was the one who should've realized what my grandmother was doing to me. How could I have ever taken her side?"

"You shouldn't feel bad…"

"See? And neither should you." He took Kurt's hand and squeezed it. "She lied to everyone. My grandmother...she has problems that made her do things that were unimaginable. I don't even know if I would have ever connected the dots on my own. You were the genius behind this whole operation, I have to admit." He took a sip of his coffee and smiled.

Kurt looked up at Blaine and smiled back before another thought came to his mind. "Do you know when you're going to go in this week?" Blaine had been asked to go into the police station for some questioning. The information coming from Blaine was extremely important to the investigation.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe tomorrow…Will you go with me?"

"Of course I will." Kurt knew that Blaine was nervous to talk about the abuse with someone other than Kurt. Although Kurt had a slightly different motive for going in…

* * *

_Week 11 Day 2_

They walked into the police station together, hand in hand. Blaine was really into this new 'showing affection whenever they could' thing, maybe he had wanted to do it all along, even more than Kurt had. Blaine felt like he couldn't show affection in public before because of his grandmother. But now she was out of the picture, well, almost.

The police officer at the front desk took Blaine with him, leaving Kurt to find another police officer who would let him into the holding room, where Blaine's grandmother was staying until they moved her into a state penitentiary. He had a few questions, that he wasn't going to leave without the answers to.

After he found where he needed to go they let him in, giving him ten minutes. The holding room was cold, with a few dark cells lining the walls. The police officer stood outside as Kurt walked closer to Blaine's grandmother's cell, his heart starting to pick up a few beats. He'd wanted this for a while now, the chance to ask her why she had tried to make Blaine sick. How could she have done this to Blaine? How could she have done something so awful to the most amazing, compassionate, selfless person he knew? How can someone be that heartless?

He also knew he couldn't get angry. He had to be the bigger person and not let her get to him, although he knew it would be difficult.

He stood about a foot away from the bars, looking into the cell. Blaine's grandmother was laying on the bed, she knew he was there, but she didn't move a muscle.

Her brown hair had streaks of gray in it, and her clothes were tattered, but not yet the awful orange jumpsuits the inmates had to wear in the state prisons.

"So it's Blaine's little friend… Are you here to fight his battles for him? He's always been a coward, like his father." Her voice was cold, yet somewhat defeated.

"No, I'm just here to talk to you. I want you to answer some questions for me."

"Are you sure Blaine didn't think you were a girl? That voice could have fooled me." Kurt gritted his teeth, but he held back.

There was a short paused before she looked over at him, her eyes dark. "Blaine's a liar. Did you know that?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Blaine's not the liar in this situation."

"Yes, well, he told me he wouldn't be seeing you anymore. Isn't that a lie?"

Kurt shook his head. "Why did you let him see me in the first place? What did that accomplish?" She didn't answer him, so he decided to take a different approach. "My Aunt Annie told me what happened to you, about your father."

"Oh Annie, poor, sweet Annie. How is she doing?"

"She's in the hospital, and I'm glad she won't have to know how horrible her friend became." Kurt couldn't believe that Blaine's grandmother and Aunt Annie used to be friends. "She'd be disappointed."

"Do you think I care?" She sat up and her eyes felt like darts, piercing into him. "She was always the privileged one, a great family, a great son."

"Well she lost all of that. Her son passed away but she was still a better mother than you ever were or ever will be."

She stood up and walked toward him. "You know, I wanted to be a great mother, I really did. But when I looked down at Benjamin in my arms…" She mimicked the look of holding a baby, looking down at her hands. "I hated him, and I didn't know why. I learned later that I was sick, but it was already too late." Her voice shuddered. "But the one thing I never did, and that I swore I would never do, was hit him."

"So you felt like you owed Blaine something after you hit him over the head with a fu- with a lamp? That's why you let him see me?" Kurt was trying to keep his anger to a minimum, but he already felt steam coming out of his ears.

"If someone had seen you two together everything would have been a mess! The church has a strict view on homosexuality, and he had come to live with me to get rid of it, not to act on it."

"That is who Blaine is. He can't get rid of it, and the faster you, or any of those close minded people figure that out the better."

"He got the cancer for a reason. God was angry at him for being sinful. Blaine deserved to die if that was God's plan."

"No, that was your plan. You were killing him."

"I was not trying to kill him, I was going to let him get better after I got enough money to buy my ice cream shop back."

"What?"

"Blaine's the reason my husband's business was taken away, the one that had been in the family for generations. I needed to get it back for my husband."

Kurt shook his head. "So all you wanted was to buy  _Susie's_  back? That's all the money was for?"

She sat back on the bed and sighed. "Finally someone understands." She smiled and laughed to herself. "See, it's not so bad."

"No, I get it. I really do…" He shook his head. "And I hope when you plead not guilty to the attempted murder charges for reasons of insanity that you get the help you truly deserve." He started to walk away before stopping and giving her one final look. "And you know what? Blaine is going to be safe with me, and I'm not going to let you, or anyone ever hurt him again."

She was crazy, and she needed help. And Kurt felt horrible that Blaine had to be caught in the middle of it.

The more Kurt thought about it later that day, the more he realized how much her father must have hurt her. No one becomes that way without something truly terrible happening to them. The evil had started with her father, but it was ending with Blaine.

* * *

_Week 11 Day 3_

The person who rang the doorbell that afternoon was nowhere near who Kurt expected.

"Hey." The young blonde girl said when Kurt answered the door.

"Hey…Jessica, what are you doing here?" Kurt asked, shocked that he would ever even see Jessica again, not that he really wanted to.

She brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "I heard Blaine was staying with you, and I was wondering if maybe we could talk. I have some things I need to say, to the both of you." She looked sincere, so Kurt decided that it wouldn't do any harm to let her talk. He found Blaine and they sat on the back patio, Carole making them some lemonade.

"The first thing I would like to say is that I'm sorry," Jessica said. "I thought I was helping, but all I was doing was helping Blaine's grandma steal money from everyone."

Blaine was the first to speak. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. I also know your father was giving a lot of money, too."

"Well, that's actually what I'm really here for. You see, my dad wanted to know if you're interested in filing a medical malpractice lawsuit."

Kurt almost choked on his lemonade. "You mean, you want to see if Blaine wants to sue the hospital?"

Jessica nodded. "My dad has one of the most prestigious law firms in all of New Jersey, and he thinks Blaine could win all the money he needs for his chemotherapy, with his help of course."

Both boys looked skeptical, so she continued. "The hospital was obviously cutting corners with what they were allowing Blaine's grandma to do. You would practically have the future of the hospital in your hands."

"So, could we like, get that receptionist fired?" Kurt asked, his voice sounding more hopeful than it should.

"According to my father, much of the hospital's staff has either been fired or has jumped ship after hearing the news. I'm sure she's long gone, along with most of Blaine's nurses, and his doctor's already resigned."

The news hit Kurt hard. Dr. Martin resigned? What if she was never allowed to practice medicine again? It wasn't her fault all of this happened.

"My dad said to let Blaine think it over. But I personally think you should get something for what you've been through." Kurt already knew he wasn't going to get justice for what his grandmother had done, because no jury could take a look at her without realizing she was totally insane. Maybe this was a good idea, and if Jessica's father was really that good, there would be no way they couldn't win.

Kurt looked at Blaine and slipped their hands together. It was his decision, and if he wanted to get some sort of compensation for what he had been through then Kurt would support him. Although Kurt also knew Blaine would have to go to court more than he already needed to with his grandmother's trial, and he didn't know if Blaine was prepared for that and chemotherapy. "Thanks Jessica, I'll let you know," Blaine said.

Jessica stood up and straightened out her sundress. "Well I guess I should get going, I have Blaine's shift today so I have to get down to the beach."

"Thank you for trying to help me," Blaine said. "At least someone had good intentions throughout this whole thing."

She nodded and shrugged her shoulders, "I'm guessing I'm not going to see you two at church anytime soon."

Blaine laughed. "Probably not."

She smiled at them and started her way back to the house, before stopping short just in front of the door. "And despite what people may say, I'm extremely happy for the both of you."

"Thank you, we really appreciate that Jessica," Blaine said and Kurt nodded in agreement.

She gave them one last wave goodbye before muttering as she closed the door behind her. "Might have helped if I knew Blaine was unavailable before I asked him all out those times but whatever…"

Kurt smiled to himself. You meet a lot of people during a lifetime, and sometimes you don't agree with everything they say or do. And even though Jessica had some misguided intentions, or even may have detrimentally damaged his and Blaine's relationship at one time or another, she wasn't a bad person. And that's where Kurt truly saw the difference between people like the receptionist at the hospital or Blaine's grandmother, and people like Jessica, who didn't know when to keep their mouths shut, but still tried to do all the good they could do, even if it didn't turn out the way they intended.

* * *

_Week 11 Day 4_

_There was something that never changed, and those were the dreams._

It was almost three in the morning and he didn't want to wake Blaine, but he was having trouble sleeping alone. Although there was a chance Blaine was going to be alright, the nightmares still weren't going away. And the one he had just had that night was one of the worst, waking up shaking and in tears.

Kurt slowly walked down the stairs to Aunt Annie's room, where Blaine was staying, just needing to see him, to know he was alright.

He gradually opened Blaine's door and looked inside, the moon shining dimly onto Blaine's face. Kurt walked in and shut the door behind him, trying not to make a sound. After a few moments he stopped and decided to turn around. What was he doing? Blaine needed his rest.

"Kurt?"

Kurt let go of the door knob which he had started turning and looked at Blaine. He was already sitting up and turning on the lamp next to his bed.

"Go back to sleep," Kurt whispered.

Blaine rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for waking you." His voice sounded small, and not very convincing.

"You can tell me what's wrong. Did you have a dream?"

Kurt nodded, not meeting Blaine's eyes. "Why won't they go away?"

"Come here," Blaine said, scooting over and pulling down the covers to let Kurt in. Kurt shuffled his way to the bed and laid down on his side because the bed was much smaller than his own. Blaine turned off the lamp and laid down to face Kurt.

"Is this better?" Blaine asked, pulling Kurt in close to him and tangling their legs together.

"Mhm…" Kurt hummed, closing his eyes. "It was about you again…the dream."

Blaine kissed him softly, "I'm right here, you have nothing to worry about."

Kurt couldn't help but worry. Things might not get better, something could still go wrong. Kurt had fought so hard to accept that Blaine was dying, that the thought of him even having a chance was so hard to grasp.

Kurt pulled himself in closer to Blaine's chest, trying to hear his heartbeat and feel his warmth. "Will the dreams ever stop?" Kurt asked, his voice muffled from pressing himself into Blaine's shirt. "I really want them to go away."

"They will, I promise they will."

Somewhere in his heart Kurt believed him, but the dreams were so terrible that he thought he might never get rid of them. After a few minutes he started feeling better, and his breathing became in sync with Blaine's. "You know what won't be a dream?" Kurt asked, trying to reassure himself.

"And what's that?"

"When I wake up next to you tomorrow, and give you a kiss good morning."

"And I'll be waiting for it. Now you should get to sleep," he whispered.

Kurt nodded and yawned, feeling extremely tired again. "I love you," he mumbled.

"I love you too, Kurt. I hope you'll have some sweet dreams."


	23. Chapter 23

_Week 11 Day 4_

The morning  _started_  wonderfully.

Kurt woke up and gave Blaine his good morning kiss, which then turned into  _a lot_  more than just a kiss, and it really didn't help that Aunt Annie's bed squeaked, but gladly it was early enough that they weren't caught.

Later that morning the boys decided to take a barefoot walk along the beach, their hands intertwined and swinging gently. They were walking along the water, just where the waves disappeared into the sand, although Kurt still didn't like being so near the ocean, especially after the dreams he'd been having that summer, but he felt safe with Blaine, and he knew he wouldn't let anything hurt him.

Most of his dreams still involved drowning, although others involved him in a hospital room with a flat line on the monitor, but it was never his own. Those were always his worst nightmares, and what made it worse was there was actually a time when he was sure it would become a reality.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Blaine asked, looking up at the cloudless sky. He stopped suddenly and spun Kurt around, swinging their arms. "We should do something today."

"Aren't we doing something now?" Kurt laughed after the sudden stop. They had walked far enough so that there was no one around, just the two of them and the breeze blowing mildly from the ocean.

"I was thinking we could go to the boardwalk, or the amusement park, or maybe we could do something adventurous," Blaine's voice dropped a few decibels.

Kurt knew what they really should be doing. They really should be finding somewhere for Blaine to get his treatment, but whenever Kurt would mention it Blaine would quickly change the subject. Kurt believed that Blaine was nervous to start chemo again, because he had such a hard time with it the first time around. The idea of getting better wasn't the same as actually going through the process, but Kurt also knew that it might have been worse than it should have been the first time, because his grandmother wasn't giving him the proper medication. All in all, Kurt knew Blaine was brave, and that he would fight like he said he would.

Before Kurt knew it he was having water kicked at him by Blaine, who was now a few feet away. "Hey!" Kurt objected.

"You were spacing out on me!" Blaine said playfully, the sound of the waves making it harder to hear.

"No…I was just…admiring how nice you look today," he said, trying to cover up his obvious daydreaming. Blaine really did look nice though, a tight black v-neck and his usual red swim trunks. But the wind was doing some really great things for his hair.

"Were you now? Just nice?" Blaine said flirtatiously, and Kurt could tell where he wanted this to be going.

"There are plenty of other adjectives I could name, but I'll let you use your imagination."

Blaine took a few steps forward and took Kurt's hands, pulling them closer together. "Well I think you look extremely  _sexy_ today." Blaine's lips were extremely close to his own, just lightly brushing his skin. "It's a little bit funny…"

"What? This feeling inside?"

Blaine rolled his eyes and Kurt laughed."No, I mean how much your eyes look like the ocean, I think I would be okay with just getting lost in them every day for the rest of my life," Blaine told him, taking his hand and kissing each knuckle individually.

Kurt raised an eyebrow but Blaine continued. "And your hair, I'd have to run my fingers through it every day too." He pushed back Kurt's hair out of his eyes. "Every. Single. Day," he said, trailing his fingers down Kurt's neck, and then his chest.

Now Kurt knew what Blaine was meaning when he wanted to do something adventurous. "Blaine Anderson, are you trying to seduce me?" He asked playfully as Blaine slid his hands into Kurt's back pockets.

"What? No…" He looked away for a moment and then back to Kurt. "Is it working?"

"I'll let you know," Kurt said, giving him a quick kiss and starting his way back to the house.

"Is it because there is too much sand?" Blaine called after him.

Kurt turned around and smiled, walking backwards. "How about this? I might consider another shower rendezvous… _if_ you can catch me."

"You know I'm a lifeguard right? Running in the sand is my specialty, although it usually looks best if I'm in slow-mo."

"Well you can run in slow motion, while I—" Kurt paused and looked out at the water behind Blaine. "Blaine! There's someone in the water!" He said, pointing and jumping up and down.

"Where?" As soon as Blaine turned around Kurt grinned widely and darted up the beach.

"Hey! What happened to the guy who tripped his first day on the beach?" Blaine called after him.

Blaine finally caught him when the house came back into view, wrapping his arms around Kurt and pulling him to the ground. Kurt looked up at the house and noticed something wrong as Blaine started kissing his neck. "Blaine, there's someone…"

"Don't care." Yeah, Kurt knew he didn't care what anyone thought of them anymore.

"No, Blaine, there's someone at the house." Kurt sat up and got a better view. Burt and Carole were on the patio talking to someone. "Who is that?" Kurt helped Blaine up and they walked back to the house.

When they made it to the patio Blaine immediately froze, and the person sitting at the table turned around.

It was her.

Kurt knew who it was, he didn't even have to think about it. She had dark brown curly hair, about shoulder length, and her eyes were golden, just like Blaine's. She had a look to her, not a bad one, but a look of warmth. When she saw Blaine she smiled, and it looked like tears were coming to her eyes.

Blaine's mother had come back for her son.

She was much younger than Kurt expected, although he didn't really know what he had actually expected. He never thought he would see her, ever.

"Boys, it's good that you're back," Carole said standing up. They looked like they had been talking only for a little while.

"What's going on?" Kurt asked. Blaine wasn't moving and he was visibly uncomfortable.

"Ms. Anderson has some things she would like to discuss with Blaine," Burt said.

"If he'll let me," Blaine's mom added. She stood up and Blaine took a few steps backwards, shaking his head."I know what your father and, with by my inability to stand up for you, I put you through. If I had known—"

"I can't do this right now," Blaine interrupted as he turned and walked into the house, his voice unsteady. Her face fell, and Kurt knew something was different about her, she wasn't like the rest of Blaine's family, maybe it was because he saw Blaine's kindness in her eyes. It might have also been the fact that the anniversary of his own mom's death was coming up, and he felt like Blaine should have a chance to have a mother again.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Kurt said, following Blaine inside. He knocked on the door to Aunt Annie's room, where Blaine had went, finding him sitting at the piano, staring at the keys. Kurt vaguely remembered Blaine once telling him that she was the one who taught him to play.

"Why is she here?" Blaine whispered. Blaine looked up at him, the look on his face that always made Kurt's heart break. "Why can't I ever be happy for longer than a few days?"

Kurt slowly closed the door and made his way to sit next to Blaine. "She could be here to help you." Kurt saw something different in her eyes, and he wasn't going to let Blaine give up on her that easily.

He shook his head."Like she helped me when my dad was beating the shit out of me?" He took a deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut. "When I imagine my mother, all I see is the look of nothingness she gave me when she saw the blood. How she just left me there, like she didn't care. No one ever cares." He took Kurt's hand, some of the anger melting. "I mean, no one cares except for you."

Kurt knew how badly Blaine must have been hurting, "I'm sorry, Blaine. But maybe she's changed. People can always change." Blaine wasn't responding, his eyes attached to the keys in front of him. "She's your mom…"

"And my dad's my dad, and my grandmother's my grandmother, but that didn't stop them from hurting me."

"I know you don't have much faith in your family, after all they've put you through."

"Yeah, trying to kill someone isn't the best way to gain trust."

Kurt decided he had to do something to get through to Blaine, so he stood up as if he was going to leave. "You know what? I would give anything to have my mom back, but I can't. So I don't just want to sit here and watch you give up your chance, because you actually have one."

"Kurt- I just-" He looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry about your mom. But my mother…I just don't want her to hurt me."

Kurt sat back down and looked Blaine right in the eyes. "I promise you this, right now, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are never hurt again. But you can't close yourself off in the fear of pain. I did that to myself for too long and I don't want to see it happen to you."

He was silent for a few moments, finding the courage he needed. "Okay," Blaine sighed. "I'll do it."

"I know you can." If Kurt looked back on his life, this was the moment that changed everything, for without it, his future may have been so very different.

* * *

Kurt, Carole, and Burt all waited in the living room while Blaine and his mother talked outside. Kurt was so anxious that he thought he could bite all his nails off, which he hardly did. There wasn't much noise coming from outside, which was a good sign, at least they weren't yelling.

His father told Kurt that Blaine's mom, Bethany, wanted to help Blaine with his treatment. And by help, she meant pay for it in full.

It was at least an hour before Blaine's mother walked in the room, tears in her eyes. "Where's Blaine?" Kurt asked when Blaine wasn't following behind her.

She wiped a tear off her cheek. "He's in his room…I just want to thank you all so much for allowing him into your home. And I would like to especially thank you, Kurt, for helping him through these past few months." She met his eyes and gave him a faint smile.

"So what's going to happen from here?" Burt asked.

"Blaine said he'd like to discuss it with Kurt alone, when he's ready." She sighed and gripped her bag tightly. "Well I should be getting back to my hotel."

"Are you sure?" Carole asked. "We have plenty of room." 'Plenty of room' aka 'Finn's room'.

"Thank you for the offer but I think Blaine needs some time to adjust. Thank you again for all that you've done." She gave them one last smile before leaving, it reminded him a lot of Blaine's.

* * *

_Week 11 Day 5_

Blaine never left his room. Not for anything. Kurt wanted to check on him, but then he heard the faint sound of the piano and knew it was that he just wanted to be alone. He understood, so much was going on in his life right now, not like nothing had been happening for the past two years.

However, the next morning Blaine woke him up early, taking him to Jake's Branch Park and leading him to the meadow. The flowers were still as beautiful as ever, even though Blaine hadn't been keeping them up as he used to.

"You were right, she's changed." They were both laying in the grass, their shoulders touching as they stared at the sky through the trees.

Kurt stayed silent, just letting Blaine say what he wanted to say.

"I didn't know…back then…what my father was doing to her." Kurt was about to ask what he did but Blaine cut him to the chase. "He was isolating her from the rest of the world, like my grandmother did to me…not letting her leave the house…I don't understand how I didn't see it…He hit her too, before but it got so much worse after I left…I feel like such an idiot."

"Don't say that, it might have not been so obvious."

"He drove her to become an alcoholic, to be depressed. I could have stopped it if I had stopped feeling sorry for myself and realized that my mom loved me." Kurt heard Blaine laugh to himself, he knew it was probably to hold back the tears. "She said she loves me."

"See, I told you someone loves you. I love you, my parents love you, and now you have your mom loves you, too."

"About six months after I came here she left my dad and the country, where she found someone. He has a son named Charlie and they're living together. She seems really happy."

"Why didn't she come find you if she was better?"

"My dad never told her I was sick. Once she heard she tried to contact me right away, but my grandmother told her I was fine, that nothing was wrong." Blaine turned to look at Kurt and smiled. "She says she is okay with us. She's glad I'm happy with you." That was good, at least someone in Blaine's family accepted him.

"So what does she want to do?" Kurt asked.

Blaine looked back up at the sky, tensing a little. "She wants to pay for my treatment," he exhaled. "She won a lot from my dad in the divorce."

"Are you going to let her?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. It's more than just letting her pay for the chemotherapy…It wouldn't be  _here_."

"What? Did she find that experimental treatment in Switzerland or something?" Kurt joked.

"No…Germany."

"Germany what?"

"The treatment is in Germany."

Kurt sat up and looked down at Blaine, caught off guard. "She really wants to take you all the way to Europe?"

Blaine wouldn't look at him. "She's been living there, and her boyfriend knows a specialist. One that will make sure I come out of chemo cancer-free." Blaine closed his eyes. "And she wants me to live with her."

"But—New York and—would I get to see you? How long would it be?"

Blaine covered his eyes. "Months…a year…I don't know."

"So you're leaving me? Across an ocean?"

"I don't think I'm going to do it. I know that going would be my best chances but I don't want to leave you like that. I don't know if I could live without you for so long."

"No, Blaine, you have to go. You have to get better." Kurt couldn't let him give up his best chances just because of him. Blaine had to go with his mom, and Kurt wouldn't be the one to stand in the way.

Blaine finally looked at him, and the look in his eyes told Kurt he was more skeptical of going because of the thought of chemotherapy again. "You're going to be okay," Kurt said. "You're brave, and you'll get through this."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Dr. Martin said you had good chances. And they'll be even better if you go with your mom." Kurt caressed Blaine's cheek, and wiped a tear with his thumb that had fallen. "We both have to be strong."

"It's just—It was so hard the first time."

"I know…But you have to try again. You can't give up."

"I could never give up on you, Kurt."

"And I could never give up on you." Kurt positioned himself over Blaine so he could easily give him a kiss. If saving Blaine's life meant that they would be separated across an ocean, then that's just how it would have to be.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter includes character death.

_Week 11 Day 6_

It was about noon that morning and Kurt was lounging on the living room couch watching TV. Burt and Carole were at the hospital talking to the doctors about Aunt Annie, Blaine was having lunch with his mother, and Finn was in his room skyping Rachel, so the house felt pretty empty.

Before he knew it he had fallen asleep, with the television remote in hand and the TV blasting. He was finally woken by the sound of the front door slamming, which caused him sit straight up, a little disoriented.

"There you are," Blaine said as he walked into view.

Kurt looked at the clock and became confused. "Aren't you supposed to be at lunch?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and turning off the television.

"She wasn't feeling well today," he replied and sat next to Kurt. "So I thought it would be a great opportunity to spend some alone time with you." Blaine went in for a quick kiss on the cheek, which then lingered there for a few moments, and turned into a few more down his neck, until he was totally infatuated with Kurt's neck, sucking and trailing his tongue against Kurt's skin.

Kurt tilted his head back and closed his eyes. "So this is what you came back for…" he breathed. Blaine slowly moved his hand to rub the inside of Kurt's thigh, making Kurt extremely hard. " _Blaine_ ," Kurt moaned as Blaine started palming him through his jeans, causing his breathing to quicken.

"We…we promised we wouldn't do anything," Kurt babbled. "My dad…rules…" Burt had told both boys that there wasn't to be any 'funny business' while Blaine was living with them, and that they were to be 'responsible' if he and Carole weren't home.

"We've broken the rules at least five times already…" Blaine countered, unbuttoning Kurt's pants with one hand. "Just relax…" he whispered.

Blaine leisurely trailed his lips up Kurt's jaw to meet their lips together, kissing him fervently. Kurt laid back onto the couch and pulled Blaine on top of him, after realizing that it was their last week together, and his parents wouldn't be home for at least an hour.

Blaine straddled Kurt's hips and slipped his hand into Kurt's jeans, palming him harder. Kurt tried to grab onto the leather of the couch to keep himself quiet, but he couldn't help but moan when Blaine finally took him into his hand. He rolled his head back and started arching his hips into Blaine's grip, trying to get Blaine to go faster.

Blaine started kissing down his neck, and then suddenly stopped. " _Shit_ ," Blaine cursed, taking his hand out of Kurt's jeans and pulling away.

"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, somewhere between a pant and a whine. He opened his eyes and looked up at Blaine, who had his hand over his face and was moving off of him.

"I'm really sorry, I'll buy you a new shirt, don't panic," he said while getting off the couch and rushing toward the bathroom.

"A new what?" Kurt looked down at his shirt, which was covered in blood. "Oh my god," he gasped. He touched his neck and looked at his hand, which was now covered in blood too. "Blaine?"

He immediately sat up, buttoned his jeans, and ran after Blaine. He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't even know where he was bleeding from he had left the room so fast.

Blaine was in the bathroom with his head over the sink, splashing water on his mouth. His hands were bloody and his clothes were stained too. "What's happening?" Kurt asked from behind him.

"It's just a nosebleed," Blaine told him. "It's actually how I found out I was sick. I had at least ten before I finally went to the hospital, because one of them never stopped…It was one of the scariest moments of my life…" He looked away from him. "Only second to you falling in the water…" he said quietly.

They were silent until Blaine turned off the water."Is it stopping?" Kurt asked. Blaine nodded and wiped his face with a towel. "You don't have to buy me a new shirt," Kurt added. "I didn't really like this one that much anyway," he lied. He tried to smile at him, but Blaine didn't smile back.

"I think I'm going to go get some rest," Blaine said, not even making eye contact with Kurt.

After Blaine left Kurt looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was a mess, his lips were red and swollen, he had red marks all over his neck, and his shirt he was wearing was covered in the blood of the man he loved.

* * *

_Week 12 Day 3_

The last week of summer had finally arrived, and Kurt had never wanted time to stop so badly in his life. He had less than one week left with Blaine, who was also leaving the same day as Kurt for Europe.

He wanted to spend every minute of every day he had left with Blaine, because he didn't know how long it would be before he saw him again. But it wasn't turning out that way. Blaine had spent most of the last few days with his mom, who was taking him everywhere. She was spending money on him like she had all the money in the world. Kurt understood why, she must have felt extremely guilty for everything that happened, but in a way Kurt was jealous, because she would have so much more time with him, and he wouldn't. But he didn't question it, because it was the happiest he'd seen Blaine in a long time.

Ever since the nosebleed incident, Blaine would come home from wherever he had gone with his mother, say hello, maybe tell Kurt how his day went, and then go straight to his room. He felt like Blaine just didn't want to be around him, or he was losing interest. Whenever Kurt tried to talk to him about his chemotherapy Blaine would completely change the subject, the last time they talked about it was when Blaine told him he wouldn't be taking Jessica's father's offer to file a lawsuit against the hospital.

The feelings of uncertainty he had about being apart from Blaine for so long intensified by the day. At first he was okay with the idea of Blaine moving to Germany to get treated by a doctor that had a 95% success rate, more than could be said by most doctors in the United States, but now the anxiety was setting in. He had never been away from Blaine more than a week, and now it could be up to a year. What if they couldn't make it?

"You know what the worst thing about this house is?" Burt asked as he was flipping through channels. Kurt was sitting on the couch next to him reading the new issue of Vogue.

"What? That Aunt Annie doesn't have ESPN?" Kurt asked, not looking up from his magazine.

"That, and she doesn't have any premium channels. What did she do all the time?"

"She probably did productive things with her life…" Kurt's voice was extremely apathetic. Aunt Annie was still in the hospital, but things weren't looking good. Somewhere in his heart he just wanted it to be over, because he knew how much pain she must have been in.

"Hey, where's Blaine? I haven't seen the kid for a while now."

"He's parasailing with his mom."

"Oh…Well, why aren't you out with him?"

"I didn't want to intrude. He hasn't seen her for two years, so they deserve some time together."

They were silent for a few moments until Burt asked Kurt the question he never wanted to think of, let alone hear out loud. "Have you ever thought about if he doesn't want to come back?"

Kurt looked up from what he was reading, confused at first by what his father was asking."What do you mean? Like he doesn't want to come back from Germany after he gets better?"

"He's going to have a family there, something that he doesn't have here—"

"No, dad, he's coming back."

"Four months to a year is a long time, and I know how much you two have been through together this summer, but I just don't want to see you get your hopes up. You haven't even known each other for three months yet."

"Thank you for your input but Blaine is going to come to New York when he's better. He told me so himself."

"Things change, Kurt. People change. I just want you to be prepared."

Kurt rolled his eyes and closed the magazine."I think I'm going to take a nap," Kurt said, standing up abruptly and walking to the stairs. "Tell Blaine to find me if he ever decides to come home."

* * *

Blaine didn't come home for another two hours, but Kurt was still in his room. He tried reading for a while, to get his mind off of things, but it didn't help for long.

He laid on top of his bed and thought about what it would be like living without Blaine in New York for up to a year, depending on how quickly he went through chemotherapy. What if Blaine didn't want to come back? What if he did find a better life with his mom?

"Come in," Kurt called when someone knocked on the door.

Blaine opened the door slowly. "Sorry, your dad said you'd be up here. Were you sleeping? I can leave."

Kurt sat up against the headboard and smiled slightly. "No, I was just waiting for you. Did you have a good time?"

Blaine left the door open and jumped onto the bed, an extremely wide grin on his face. "I had a great time. My mom took me out for ice cream after, and we shared a banana split. I felt like a kid again."

"That's good…Do you think you'll want to go out later? I hear they're having a festival down at the boardwalk tonight…" Blaine's expression didn't change so Kurt decided to take another approach. "Or…we could stay in and do other things," he said, trying to give Blaine a kiss.

"I don't know," he yawned, turning away from him. "I'm really tired after this morning. And besides, my mom is taking me out to dinner tonight. Some five-star restaurant, dress and tie formal."

Kurt pulled away, caught off guard by the rejection. "Okay…" He said quietly.

"She's been telling me all about Germany, and it sounds really great. Her boyfriend's freaking rich, I mean, they have a pool, Kurt, an indoor pool."

"Sounds awesome," Kurt said unenthusiastically.

Blaine looked at him confused. "Is everything alright?"

He looked away and shook his head. "I don't know. I guess I'm just not  _that_  happy that you're leaving."

"Wait, I thought you were happy for me, you told me to go."

"I am happy for you, I'm glad that you have your mom back and that you're going to get better but…" Blaine still looked confused. "…I'm just not as happy as you are that we're going to be separated."  _Oh no. That came out wrong._

"I don't understand." He seemed to become upset. "You think I'm happy that we're going to be separated for months? You think I'm happy that I have to leave the country to get cancer treatment?" He asked, although Kurt knew he didn't really want the answers.

"No, Blaine, I didn't mean it like that," he said quickly. "You just seem so much happier with your mom, that's all." Blaine got off the bed and started towards the door. "Blaine, it's our last week together, and you're spending it all with your mom…I just feel…left out," he admitted.

Blaine turned around to face him, obviously getting angry."I haven't seen my mother in two years, and you think I'm spending  _too_ much time with her?"

"It's just you're going to be with her for months when you are getting the chemotherapy and—"

"Can we  _not_  talk about the fact that I have cancer anymore?" Blaine cut him off with an edge to his voice. "That's all we ever talk about. My treatment, or how I'm going to get better. Well maybe I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think about how I could be one case of pneumonia away from my deathbed."

"Then why didn't you tell me? If we are going to make this long distance thing work then you have to tell me these things. Germany is a long way…"

"You were the one who told me to go."

"Because I knew we could handle it."

"How are you so sure? I spend a little extra time with someone else and you get upset. How are you going to be able to wait for me if you can't even last a few days?"

Kurt felt like it would be hopeless to try to get through to him. "I knew you were happier with her," Kurt muttered.

"Oh, well if I'm so obviously happier with her then maybe I should just go stay with my mom at the hotel. You'd probably like that, wouldn't you? You wouldn't have to worry about me getting blood all over your clothes."

Did Blaine think he was angry at him for that? "Blaine—" Kurt tried to stop him, but he had already shut the door and left.

Kurt didn't go after him.

* * *

Should he have run after him? Begged him not to leave?

Maybe this long distance thing wasn't going to work out. Blaine was right, how was he supposed to go so long without seeing him? He got jealous just because Blaine wasn't spending every minute of every day with him.

But he didn't know Blaine was feeling that way too. If he had known Blaine was having doubts then they could have talked about it, made a plan.

Maybe Blaine didn't need him anymore. Seeing his mother may have made him realize he was just holding on to Kurt because he was the only one who cared. He had been acting extremely distant for the last few days, and he only seemed happy whenever he had just seen his mom.

Was he losing him?

* * *

When Kurt finally went downstairs that evening to make dinner with Carole, something was different. The air felt thicker, and the house was quiet, too quiet. He didn't hear the constant sound of the television running, or Carole in the kitchen, or Finn and Burt talking about intellectual things like sports. It was almost as if the house was empty.

As soon he walked into the kitchen he knew, but he didn't want to believe it. In a way, the house actually was empty, because the person this house belonged to was gone.

Finn, Carole, and his dad were all at the kitchen table, as the feeling of sadness wafted through the air. His dad had his arms around Carole as she cried softly.

"What happened?" He asked as tears started forming. Like he didn't already know.

"Kurt…" His dad started. "I'm sorry to tell you this but…Aunt Annie passed away earlier this morning."

Kurt looked away from them, his heart sinking. The last time he had seen her was over the weekend, and he had read her  _The Jungle Book_ by her bedside. "Was it…Did she…" Kurt couldn't finish his sentence. He just stood there, fighting off tears, because he didn't want to cry anymore.

"She passed away in her sleep, the nurses said it was peaceful," Burt continued, knowing what Kurt was trying to ask.

"I texted Blaine for you," Carole said shakily. "I thought you might want to be with him."

Kurt shook his head. "Thank you but he won't come, he's out to dinner with his mom tonight..." Kurt didn't even know if he'd ever come back, he'd taken a bag of his things when he left. Kurt tried to change the subject, not wanting to think about Blaine anymore. "Are you okay, Carole? I know she meant a lot to you." His lower lip was quivering and he didn't know how much longer he could hold on.

Carole stood up from the table and walked to Kurt, her arms open. "Oh Kurt, she meant a lot to all of us," she said, putting her arms around him. "I think you made her very happy," she told him quietly. "I know that you only knew her for a while, but she told me you reminded her so much of her son, my cousin Johnny, that she thought of you as her own son." She pulled away and looked at him, teary eyed and hurting, just like him. "And I want to thank you for that."

That's when Kurt finally lost it, and the tears started streaming down his face. "I'm going to miss her so much," he sobbed, pulling himself back into Carole's arms.

"I know, Kurt, I am too."

* * *

They all sat and talked for a while at the table, and it felt kind of nice, because they hadn't for a while, with everything that was going on. Once it became dark, Kurt decided to go into Aunt Annie's room and look around for a while. He started sorting out her things because they needed to get them organized before they left anyway, so Kurt just decided to get a head start. Some of it was also to remind him of what a full life she had led, so he wouldn't remember how it was now over.

In a chest, he found some old pictures of her and her son, when he was just a baby. He knew she was a wonderful mother, just by looking at them. He also found some pictures of Aunt Annie and Carole, when Carole was about fifteen. And then he found the sweater she had made for Johnny, which she had never finished. So he sat in the corner of the room and knitted the rest of it, feeling like she would have wanted him too.

It was hard for him not to cry, because he really did love Aunt Annie. She had helped him through so much that summer, she was the whole reason he came.

His tears started falling onto the blue sweater, making tiny little stains. The room was dark, and the only way he could see was from the moonlight shining in through the window.

He heard the door slowly creek open, but he didn't look to see who it was, he didn't care who it was. "I really would just like to be alone right now," he said, thinking it was one of his parents or Finn.

"Kurt?" Said the familiar voice.

Kurt looked up and saw Blaine standing in the doorway, wearing a suit that was similar to the one he wore the day he sang for him in church. "Aren't you supposed to be at dinner with your mom?" He asked, trying to sound sarcastic, but it just ended up sounding heartbroken.

"Someone else needed me a lot more," Blaine said, walking toward him. "I rushed over here I soon as I heard." He sat down on the floor next to him. "I'm really sorry about all this. About Miss Annie…and about what I said."

"I'm sorry too," Kurt choked, trying to hold back tears, it was too hard to be mad at Blaine, all he was wanted Blaine to hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright. "I didn't mean to say those things…" His voice was shaky and the tears were starting to fall faster now.

"Shh…" Blaine said, putting his arms around him. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry, I should have stayed and listened to you." He held Kurt tighter. "You know what my mom told me after I got the text message from Carole, right in the middle of our dinner?" Kurt shook his head. "She told me to stop being such an idiot, and that I needed to go after you."

"You're not an idiot," Kurt mumbled as he smiled to himself. He would have liked to have seen his mom tell him that.

"Today I was. I've been taking you for granted these past few days, not giving you the last days of summer you deserve. I think it's because my mom makes me feel like a kid again, she reminds me of the time before I was sick, and sometimes I forget that I even am when I'm with her. Then when I see you it all comes back, because I remember that I have to get better for you, I remember why I need to fight so hard. Like last week, when I started bleeding, it reminded me again that I'm sick, and just because I try not to think about it doesn't mean it's gone away."

"I'm sorry that I do that to you," Kurt started sobbing into Blaine's jacket. He didn't want to be the reason Blaine remembered he was sick all the time. He should make Blaine feel happy.

"No no, Kurt, that's the only reason I'm here right now, and not in some casket. When I said you made my life worth living I meant it. You changed my life, and when I'm better I'm coming back here so I can share that same life with you."

"You're going to come back?"

"I promise you I'll come back, no matter what happens, and it's because I love you more than anyone in this whole world."

"And I promise to wait for you," Kurt said, pulling tightly at Blaine's jacket, trying to get closer to him.

"Here," Blaine said pulling away. Kurt wondered what was happening for a few moments but then realized he was just taking off his jacket to expose his white dress shirt. "That's better," Blaine whispered as he pulled Kurt in, letting Kurt rest his head on his chest.

They were quiet for a few minutes, Blaine letting Kurt calm down, holding him tightly. It's just what Kurt needed, because even though Aunt Annie was gone, he still had Blaine.

"How did you make her remember how to play?" Kurt asked quietly, the tears slowly stopping. He'd always wondered what he did, how he made Aunt Annie remember how to play the piano again.

"Kurt…There's those times in our lives when we are given a gift..." He paused for a few seconds. "And then there's also times where you just have to wing it and hope for the best."

"So you didn't know she would remember?"

"It was weird. For some reason, I just knew she still had it in her, that she just needed to be reminded, but I had no idea it would work. I actually was nervous that I looked like an idiot, especially when I saw that you were crying."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be sorry." Blaine kissed the top of his head and rubbed his arm. "I guess we all need to be reminded sometimes. Just like you reminded me how to love, and how to be happy. It's almost like reminding someone how to play the piano, you just have to show them how beautiful it can truly be."

Kurt smiled and then looked down at the sweater in his lap, noticing it was still there. He ran his fingers across it, noticing where the stitching of the blue yarn switched between Aunt Annie's and his, because his wasn't as perfect.

"What's that?" Blaine asked, running his fingers over where Kurt's just were.

"It's a sweater Aunt Annie was making. I finished it for her."

"It's really soft…" Blaine said, taking the sleeve and running across his cheek. "And warm."

"I want you to have it," Kurt whispered. He didn't even know he said it until Blaine looked at him funny. He looked up at Blaine and nodded. "I want you to have the sweater, and I think she'd want you to have it too. It's going to be a cold winter, all those nights…" He took a deep breath, trying not to think about how Blaine was leaving him. "And I also think you'll look really handsome in it."

Blaine kissed Kurt's temple. "I would be honored to have it. And whenever I wear it I'll think of you, and of Miss Annie."

"Good. Just make sure you wear it with the right shades of blue so you don't clash."

Blaine laughed at how serious Kurt sounded. "I promise I'll make it fashionable." He pulled Kurt back into his arms and held him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kurt murmured.

Kurt slowly fell asleep in Blaine's arms that night. But when he woke up the next morning in Aunt Annie's bed, still in Blaine's arms, he realized that he would be content with waking up every morning next to him for the rest of his life, if he could wait.

And when he looked down at the arms wrapped around him, he noticed Blaine was wearing the sweater, and he thought about Aunt Annie, and how happy it made her that they were together.

And then he thought about how he and Aunt Annie had originally made the sweater for a boy who would never come home.

But now he was giving it to the boy he knew would return.

* * *

_Week 12 Day 7_

The rest of the week seemed to go by like a dream. Kurt and Blaine spent much more time together, and it seemed like they could never stop smiling. Blaine took Kurt out to dinner with his mother during the week, who instantly fell in love with Kurt, telling him she was forever in debt to him. One day they all went out as a family to the boardwalk, getting ice cream at  _Susie's,_ as well as saying goodbye to Susie herself, and thanking her for helping Blaine through the time before Kurt arrived.

Kurt and Blaine also had a few moments when they broke the rules…okay, they had a lot of moments when they broke the rules. Blaine snuck into Kurt's room every night that week once everyone had gone to bed. They both concluded that the house must have been soundproof, either that or Finn was just listening to them, but Kurt thought if he could hear them Finn would run in asking who was being murdered.

One night Blaine took him under the boardwalk at three in the morning, the beach was closed and Kurt was afraid they were going to be caught, but that just added to the thrill of it. The whole night felt like a song by The Drifters, well, mostly the 'making love' part of it.

On their final night together, Blaine took Kurt to the amusement park. They held hands as they walked from ride to ride, took pictures of each other, played arcade games together, and they finally kissed on top of the Ferris Wheel, all the things Kurt wanted to do when they started dating. Blaine also bought him a bouquet of white and pale yellow roses, which had a card that read 'You are my sunshine.' Kurt won Blaine a puppy at the ring toss, and Blaine told him he would sleep with it every night while he was in Germany.

Kurt couldn't even fathom ever falling asleep that night, just the knowing he would be leaving in a few hours made his heart beat faster. He didn't want to leave, he didn't want to leave Blaine. It was weird to think that just twelve weeks ago he didn't want to get out of that car, he didn't want to come to the ocean, and he didn't know what the summer would bring him.

He paced the room as he waited for Blaine, although he knew he wouldn't be up for at least an hour, they had to make sure that both his dad and Carole were out cold, or they could risk waking them up.

Kurt looked at himself in the mirror of his bedroom. He looked somewhat different from what he looked like when he first arrived. Of course, he was tanner and his hair was blonder from the sun, but it was as if he'd grown up some. He looked older, and he felt older, too. He'd learned a lot from this summer, most of it was thanks to Blaine, but some also came from Aunt Annie, who he missed dearly.

He went back to his bed and folded down the comforter and sheets, fluffed the pillows, lit some candles, tried to do anything that would pass the time. He wanted their last night together to be perfect.

He took one of the roses from the bouquet and sprinkled the petals on the bed. Kurt stood back and looked at the room. Was it too much?

Whatever doubts he had about the decorations went away when Blaine finally opened the door. He slipped in slowly and shut the door behind him, taking his time to make sure it didn't echo through the hallway. "You're…prepared," Blaine said as he turned around.

Kurt took a few steps toward him and laid his hands on Blaine's chest. "I guess I've just been a bit…restless. We only have twelve hours and forty-five minutes left together…not that I've been—"

Kurt was interrupted when Blaine placed his finger on his lips. "Shh…" He pulled Kurt in and kissed him softly, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing their bodies together. "Let's not waste it then."

They took their time, making sure every single move counted. Every touch, every kiss, and every caress was slow, and careful, and given the time it deserved. Kurt didn't know if he could go for so long without touching Blaine again, but at that moment he wouldn't think about it, because all that mattered was the boy laying in front of him, looking at Kurt like they were the only two people left in the world, and even if they were, he'd be perfectly fine with it.

Kurt was kneeling between Blaine's legs, and was trailing a rose from the bouquet up his chest, watching him smile at the feeling. "What was the first thing you noticed about me?" Kurt asked, a shy smile on his lips.

"Before or after I helped you out of the sand?" Blaine replied, not opening his eyes.

Kurt tapped him on the forehead with the flower and giggled. "Both."

"Well, before, the first thing I noticed was your ass, because it was only thing I could see when you had fallen face first."

"Reasonable…" It was the first thing Kurt had noticed about Blaine too, before he had fallen into the sand of course.

"And then I guess after…Well, it would have had to have been your eyes." Blaine opened his eyes and smiled at him. "They're still the sweetest I've ever seen."

"Have I told you lately that I love you?" Kurt asked, before leaning down and kissing up Blaine's torso.

"I think you have, but I could always use it some more."

" _I love you_ ," Kurt whispered multiple times as he kissed Blaine's chest, and then his neck.

They had already both came once that night, but they were nowhere near tired. "I'll be right back," Kurt whispered into Blaine's ear. He scooted back down Blaine's body so he was back between his legs, staring down at his leaking cock, his heartbeat quickening.

He leaned down and licked a long trail up the shaft, hearing Blaine moan loudly. Kurt looked up at him, "If we're going to do this you'll have to be quiet," Kurt warned playfully.

"I'll be quiet, I promise," Blaine babbled.

"Remember to tell me when you're close, I want to try something."

Blaine nodded quickly and Kurt went back to what he was doing. He held Blaine's hips and took all of him into his mouth. He noticed Blaine dig his nails into the sheets, trying to hold back his moans. Kurt swirled his tongue around the tip and then started sucking, gradually harder and harder.

It didn't take long for Blaine to start pulling on his hair, letting him know he wouldn't last much longer. Kurt pulled off and grabbed the condom on the bed next to him and ripped it open with his teeth. After he put in on Blaine he crawled up him, straddled his hips, and slowly lowered himself onto Blaine's cock. " _Oh my god,_ " he whimpered.

"Are you okay?" Blaine panted, his whole body drenched in sweat.

"Mhm. Are you?" Kurt asked, because he knew how easily Blaine bruised, and he didn't want to put too much pressure on him.

Blaine nodded and grabbed Kurt's hips, his touch careful yet forceful enough for him to start moving. He started slowly, and steadily became faster and faster as soon as he started hitting that special spot which made him throw back his head and cry out, despite all his efforts to stay quiet. As soon as Blaine took hold of his cock Kurt knew he was a goner, coming hard and using Blaine's shoulders to stay up. Blaine wasn't too longer after, not exactly keeping his promise to stay quiet.

Kurt kissed Blaine passionately, knowing that they wouldn't be doing something like this for a while. "Don't forget about me, okay?" Kurt told him, feeling himself slowly coming back to reality.

"I could never…ever forget about you," Blaine panted.

"Forever?" Kurt asked, looking into Blaine's eyes, the same golden one's he'd always remember.

"Forever," Blaine repeated.

* * *

" _Kurt_ … _Kurt_ …"

"Five more minutes," he mumbled before realizing where he was. He was in his room, and it was still dark outside, but Blaine wasn't laying next to him. He felt around for a few moments before hearing the voice again. "Blaine?"

Kurt looked over and saw Blaine standing at the balcony doors. "I'm sorry for waking you," he whispered. "But I thought we should watch one last sunrise together."

Kurt smiled and nodded, taking the sheet from the bed and wrapping it around his back. He took Blaine's hand and was led outside, the breeze from the ocean steadily blowing, reminding him of exactly why he was going to miss the ocean.

He wondered what life would have been like if he had never met Blaine, but somewhere in his heart he knew that would never be possible, because they would have found each other some way. Kurt knew that he was destined to save Blaine's life, and Blaine was destined to save his. But it wasn't just physically, because they saved each other by just being there, by giving the other someone to love.

No matter what, Kurt could no longer say he wouldn't come back to the ocean, because that's where it all started.


	25. Chapter 25

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist from behind and rested his head on Kurt's shoulders, faintly rocking back and forth in time with the waves. Kurt had his hands on the balcony railing, trying to ground himself in that moment, that time.

"Since the sunrise isn't for a few more minutes…" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear. "I'd like to give you something." With those words, Blaine slowly placed a small, velvet box on the railing in front of Kurt.

He was surprised, because he wasn't expecting anything more from Blaine, because Blaine had already given him so much. "Blaine…I…"

"Just open it," he whispered, giving a small kiss to Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt gradually slid his hands over to the box, he knew it was a ring, but what did Blaine want this ring to mean?

He opened the box as Blaine watched from behind, and Kurt could tell he was nervous because of the way he started holding him tighter.

Inside the jewelry box was a small, silver band, with a thin row of diamonds that circled around in the middle. As soon as Kurt saw it his heart started beating faster, and he couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips.

"Do you like it?" Blaine asked. Kurt was so speechless he didn't have an immediate answer. "I mean—if you don't like it…I understand—" Blaine dropped his arms. "It's just I—"

"Blaine…it's…stunning." Kurt turned around and tried to meet Blaine's eyes. "I don't know what to say…" He didn't really know what Blaine was trying to say either, was he proposing or…?

"It's not an engagement ring," Blaine said, as if he was answering what Kurt didn't know how to ask.

"Oh." Kurt looked down at the ring, which was already sparkling with the colors of the sunrise.

"Unless you want it to be, I'd marry you in a heartbeat but…" Blaine took a deep breath before starting again, Kurt could tell he'd probably been planning this for a while, so he decided just to listen. "It's meant to be a promise," he began. "A promise that I will fight for you, and if I fight hard enough, a promise to come back to you. To come back to love you, to hold you, to watch you smile, and to be with you as long as you want me."

The look in Blaine eyes was so sincere that he couldn't help the tears that started falling. "You know I want you forever," Kurt said, finding it hard to keep on his feet, he only had a few hours left with him. Kurt shook his head, "It must have cost a fortune."

"You're worth it. You'll always be worth it." Blaine took the box from Kurt and slipped the ring out. "Here," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hand and sliding the ring on his finger. "I will love you, always and forever," Blaine promised.

"I'll always love you, too." Kurt had his eyes fixed on Blaine's lips, not even caring that the sun was a few seconds from rising. He knew he'd see many more sunrises, but he didn't know how many more times he would be able to kiss Blaine, or hold Blaine, or touch him. So Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulders, just as the sun rose out of the horizon, leaned in and…

 _Woke up_. That's always when he woke up. His dreams would never let him have that final kiss, one of the most memorable kisses he had ever had with Blaine, but at least this dream replaced some of the nightmares, although he still had them too.

As he opened his eyes, Kurt looked over at his hand, which was laying on the pillow beside his head, and stared at the ring placed on his finger. It reminded him every day of who his was waiting for, and the promise he was given. Whenever he looked at the ring, he wondered where Blaine was, what he was doing, if he was happy, or if he was thinking about Kurt at that very moment as well.

This morning was like every other morning, Kurt waking up to a busy city, hearing the sounds of cars honking, the humming air conditioner, the people above him making as much noise as they possibly could because who needs sleep the morning before Christmas? But he loved the city, so, so much, the lights, the people, the acceptance, it was just missing one thing…or one person.

As soon as he made it to New York it was like reality was giving him a slap in the face. In Ocean City, and on the beach, everything felt so much more isolated. He saw the same people every day, he went to the same places, had the same concerns. Once he started living in New York and going to college, he remembered how big the world was, how hard he needed to work, and how Blaine wasn't the only person in his life anymore.

It had been four months since he'd seen Blaine, even longer than they'd known each other before separating. He'd started chemotherapy right away, skyping Kurt the night before, and then not again, except for a quick goodnight every so often, but nothing lasting more than five minutes. They'd talk on the phone and exchange emails often, but Blaine didn't want Kurt seeing him that way. He didn't want Kurt seeing him sick. He wanted Kurt to remember him the way he was, not the person he had become. Kurt told him numerous times he didn't care what he looked like, that he'd love him the same no matter what, but Blaine wouldn't believe him, Kurt knew it stemmed from how almost everyone he had ever loved gave up on him, and Kurt wished he could just hold Blaine every night and tell him he would never stop loving him, but there was always that ocean in the way.

One of the hardest things Kurt had gone through during those four months, was the time Blaine called him in the middle of the night because he'd woken up with his hair falling out. All he wanted to do was hold him, and tell him everything was going to be alright, but Blaine sounded so fragile and weak that he couldn't help but just cry, because after all he'd been through Blaine didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve to be sick and have to look in the mirror at a different person. He didn't deserve to feel like Kurt wouldn't love him anymore because he looked small, or didn't have any hair, or had dark circles under his eyes. Blaine didn't deserve to cry. But that's what Kurt knew Blaine did at the beginning, cry. Every single time he heard his voice it was shaky, like he was barely holding on, but as time progressed things seemed to get better, and when he finally heard Blaine's laugh again, he knew that things would change, they had to change.

There were plenty of times when Blaine would reach such a low point that he would tell Kurt to forget about him, or to go see other people. It never lasted longer than a few days, because Kurt wouldn't let Blaine give up on himself, or give up on each other. Kurt never felt much of that want, or that need to see other people, because Blaine was the only man who he felt could ever truly own his heart.

One thing that Kurt always told Blaine, was the moment he could come back, his door would be open. He already had a drawer saved in his room for Blaine's things, just hoping that one day he be at his front door with a box of his things. Blaine didn't even have to ask, because the answer would always be the same, absolutely yes.

The thing Kurt took the most joy in whenever Blaine would call was singing to him. Kurt knew Blaine liked it, and somehow he could feel Blaine smiling, even though he couldn't see him. The first month after Blaine started chemo, Kurt would call Blaine every afternoon, when he knew Blaine would be going to bed, he would lay in his bed, put the phone on speaker, and place it on the pillow beside him. He would then close his eyes, and just sing, imagining that Blaine was lying there beside him.

And then, to Kurt's dismay, life started getting in the way, as it always did. School started getting harder, and exams really took a toll. He didn't talk to Blaine as much as he used to in the beginning, and the time difference only allowed them so many opportunities. In fact, the last time he had spoken to Blaine was a week before exams, and exams had been a week ago, yet he'd still been receiving emails occasionally.

Kurt was planning to call Blaine tonight, because it was Christmas Eve. He was hoping he would have enough time, because he and Rachel were busy getting ready for the Christmas (and late Hanukah) party they were throwing. Rachel had the marvelous idea to have their first holidays away from home at their apartment, so they didn't have to pack everything up and leave as well as having the opportunity show their families life in New York. The problem was, their apartment wasn't the biggest in all of New York, and Kurt was skeptical that they could fit everyone inside, but at least it would only be his and her families.

What Kurt hadn't foreseen at the end of the summer was the money which had been left to him by Aunt Annie. When he went back to Ocean City for her funeral, he learned that all of her money had been left to his family, most of it going to Carole, along with the house, but much of it ended up going to him. This allowed him and Rachel to afford a two bedroom apartment, rather than the one room apartment they were originally renting. Although living with Rachel made it hard for the place to feel empty, the bigger space always felt like it was missing something.

"Christmas already?" Kurt asked groggily as he came out of his bedroom. Rachel smiled at him as she stood on a chair putting mistletoe over their entranceway, decorating for the party.

"One more day," she sighed. "My dads arrived in New York this morning so I'm going to lunch with them in a few hours for our late Hanukah celebration. Do you want to come?"

Kurt opened the fridge and looked around for something to have for breakfast. "I was planning to go shopping for the party today…but I think I'll be able to make it."

"Sounds awesome." She replied. Rachel stepped down from the chair and sat at the counter in the middle of the kitchen. "Guess who else called this morning?"

Kurt paused and turned around slowly. "Who?" There was a spark of hope in his voice, because he always wanted it to be that one person calling.

Her face dropped. So it wasn't Blaine. That's what happened whenever Kurt would ask if Blaine had called, because the answer lately was usually a 'no'. "It was Mercedes," she said, a grin coming back to her lips.

"Oh." Kurt nodded and returned back to rummaging through their fridge, which was stuffed with the next day's Christmas dinner, which Kurt was in charge of preparing. "So what did she say?"

"That she can come to the party." Rachel was trying to hold back how ecstatic she was, because they were both upset when they had invited her, but she originally had not been able to come.

"That's great…" He mumbled rather halfheartedly. "Crap, we don't have any eggs, and I need them for the cake."

"Come on Kurt, it's Christmas, get in the spirit. And besides, your dad and Carole won't want to see you upset."

"I'm not upset," Kurt argued while pouring himself a bowl of cereal. "Why would you think I'm upset?" Kurt was so shaky that he spilled milk all over the counter. "Shit," he cursed, trying to make sure the milk didn't get all over the floor.

Rachel raised her eyebrows as Kurt looked up at her. "Fine, maybe I'm a little…anxious," he admitted.

"I'm sure he'll call. I heard they're having bad snowstorms all across Europe, maybe the power's out or something."

"That really makes me feel better Rachel, tell me more," he sniped sarcastically. "I just hope he's not in the hospital again." Kurt was afraid that Blaine hadn't been calling him because he was getting worse, or that something had happened.

"Kurt, please stop worrying, I'm sure he's fine." The last time he'd heard anything from Blaine was an email he'd gotten about a week before, saying that he'd had a small surgery but everything went well, he'd received Kurt's Christmas present, and that Kurt's Christmas present should be arriving by that night.

Kurt usually didn't worry about Blaine this much, but something just didn't feel right to him. "I think I'm going to go and get those eggs," Kurt said after there was a slight silence, putting his bowl into the sink and going off to his room.

* * *

The air was cold, close to freezing, and the sky was covered in clouds, which gave Kurt hope there would be a white Christmas. He'd always wanted to experience a Christmas morning in which he could look out the window and see the city covered in snow, although the weathermen were saying there was hardly chance, but if he'd learned anything from Ocean City, it's that even things that look hopeless can contain a miracle, like Blaine.

As he walked through the city Kurt decided to go to the coffee shop he went every morning before classes started. It was small, family owned, and it reminded him a lot of  _Susie's_ back in Ocean City.

When he went in there were a lot more people than usual, although Kurt attributed it to it being the day before Christmas, and there were many tourists in the city. Kurt had never seen the place this packed, the line must have been a mile long.

After standing a few minutes in line, he felt something tugging on his coat. He looked down to see a little boy with blond hair looking up at him. "Did you know I'm five?" Asked the young boy.

Kurt smiled and laughed a little. "I didn't, but I know now."

"How old are you?" He asked.

"I'm eighteen."

"Wow. That's old. My big brother is eighteen too. He's not here yet, neither is my mommy." He tugged at Kurt's jacket again. "Guess what?" He whispered.

Kurt smiled and got down on one knee. "What?" He whispered back.

"Well, my mommy has a baby in her tummy, I'm not supposed to know yet, but my brother told me."

"Tell your mommy congratulations for me."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" The boy asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" Kurt found it odd that he was asking if he had a boyfriend, rather than a girlfriend.

"My big brother has a boyfriend. At first I thought it was weird, but now I know that when they have a baby, it will just have two daddies."

"You must love your brother an awful lot," Kurt pointed out.

"Yeah, that's why I'm going to miss him so much," the boy pouted.

"What's happening to your brother?"

"He's moving here. And I won't see him anymore, because I live far away."

"Where do you live?"

The boy didn't answer him, distracted by someone calling his name. "Charlie, we have to go!" Called, presumably, the boy's father, who was standing in the doorway of the coffee shop.

"I have to go, maybe you'll see my brother sometime," said the boy. "Have a merry Christmas!" He called as he ran out the shop.

"Do you have to tell everyone you're five?" The man asked as they left.

"Of course Daddy, if I didn't they might think I'm only four…"

Kurt laughed and watched as the pair walked out. It was Christmas, he was supposed to be happy, he was supposed to laugh and smile, regardless if Blaine was there or not.

Kurt observed many things on that cold winter's day: families, children, lovers. He thought about how maybe next Christmas he'd have Blaine next to him, holding his hand.

* * *

Kurt finally arrived home with Rachel early that afternoon after lunch and he was already physically exhausted. He could only listen to Rachel talk for so long.

He tried calling Blaine right away to wish him a merry Christmas, but no one answered. He then called him two more times, but it was always the same.

"What do you think is wrong?" Kurt asked as he sat on the couch with Rachel that evening. They were sharing a bowl of popcorn with a blanket on their laps, watching  _It's a Wonderful Life,_ which aired every Christmas Eve.

"Like I said, snowstorm," Rachel replied quickly.

"He said my Christmas present would arrive by tonight, too. Should I call the post office?"

"It's Christmas, Kurt. Maybe they're behind, not everyone can be as punctual as you, sending their Christmas present a month in advance."

"I guess…" Kurt took another bite of popcorn and sighed. "So you liked your present?" Kurt asked, trying to change the subject that he had started in the first place. He and Rachel had already exchanged gifts, so it wouldn't be as confusing at the party.

"The coat was beautiful," she said curling into his side. "Please don't worry about Blaine, I'm sure he's fine, and I'm also sure his present will be perfect, you know how he loves surprises."

* * *

Kurt woke up with a start the next morning. Although he could'nt tell if it was morning because it was still dark outside, he felt like he had been sleeping forever. He leaned over took look at his clock, finding that it was only six in the morning, and sunrise wouldn't be for another hour. After a few moments he realized the phone to his apartment was ringing, which was probably what woke him in the first place.

He walked out into the kitchen, noticing that Rachel wasn't woken up by the ringing phone. He picked up the phone and answered it tiredly, "Hello?" Kurt looked out the window and noticed there wasn't any snow, so much for a white Christmas.

"Kurt, it's Mrs. Petersen, well you probably remember me as Ms. Anderson. Blaine's mom?"

"Yeah, he told me you got married last month, sorry I didn't call," he told her, half asleep.

"It's fine Kurt, I'm calling because of Blaine." Her voice was shaky, like she was on the verge of tears.

He turned around and froze. "Is something wrong?"

"I probably woke you didn't I? The time difference is always so much bigger than I imagine it."

"Is Blaine alright?" Kurt asked again, this time with a little more worry in his voice.

"He…he went into the hospital yesterday…"

"Is he okay? Please tell me he's okay."

"I'm sorry, Kurt." She was crying now, which caused him to start crying too.

"Is he…? Did he…?" Kurt couldn't finish his questions. He felt like the whole world was falling out from under him. "Did he die?" Kurt finally choked out.

"There was nothing they could do."

Kurt could feel his heart breaking with each passing second. Blaine was supposed to be okay, he was supposed to come back to him. It was like one of his worst nightmares.

_Wait._

Hadn't he had this dream before?

"He…" The voice of Blaine's mother started getting dimmer and dimmer. "Blaine…" It sounded like the rest of her sentence was being cut out.

Kurt dropped the phone and started pinching himself, because that's how he always got himself out of a bad dream.

There was no pain, no pain whatsoever.

It was all a dream.

Blaine was still okay.

He could wake up.

* * *

When Kurt finally woke up for (what he thought was) the second time that night his body was trembling violently, and drenched in sweat. Did he scream? Kurt couldn't remember, because all he knew at that moment was that there were tears on his cheeks, and he had no faith that the dreams would ever go away. After all this time, he was still having  _those_ dreams. The ones so awful, yet so real, that he could hardly breathe. He'd been going to a therapist like he'd promised Blaine, yet nothing seemed to help. One thing he did know, is whenever he had  _those_ dreams, and  _those_ nightmares, it was always of his worst fear: Getting that call that about Blaine, and how the cancer had gotten the best of him.

He looked over at the ring on his finger and took a deep breath. Blaine promised, he promised he'd be back, that he'd be okay.

 _It's Christmas morning, you're supposed to be happy,_ Kurt kept saying to himself. He hadn't caught himself thinking this much about Blaine in a long time. Maybe it was because everything was starting to remind him of Blaine, more than he'd like to admit.

Even taking a shower would remind him of Blaine. The way he'd press him up against the cold tile, how he'd kiss his neck, how his hand would—

Kurt's thoughts were interrupted by the loud honking of cars coming from outside. That was one negative to living in New York; no one ever went to bed.

He pushed off the covers and sat up. It would probably be best to start cooking for the Christmas party now, since he wouldn't be getting back to sleep anytime soon. He heard talking coming from outside, and decided to look outside to see what was going on.

When he lifted the blinds, he smiled broadly, astonished by the miraculous sight before him.

There was snow, everywhere, at least eight inches of it, with still more to come. The snow was falling slowly, yet Kurt couldn't see more than a few buildings in front of him. It was slowly getting brighter outside, the sun rising behind the clouds.

A white Christmas.

He looked down and saw that the road was practically unusable, totally covered in snow. But there was one cab parked in front of the complex, with one person carrying an arm's load in boxes, looking as if they were moving in. Who would move in on Christmas?

Right as Kurt was about to leave the window, deciding that Rachel should see the snow as well, the person holding the large boxes tripped on one of the steps, their foot getting caught in the snow. Everything they were carrying went flying, which mostly looked like things such as picture frames and other valuables. They were struggling to get out of the snow, and once they did they looked like they were having trouble finding their things.

Kurt felt like he needed to help them, it was probably freezing outside, and no one deserved to be stuck out in the cold on Christmas. Kurt threw on his coat and shoes and ran down the steps of the apartment building, thinking that would be much faster than the elevator.

When he got there the person, who was wrapped tightly in what looked like a million layers of fabric, was already putting things back in the box. "Are you okay?" Kurt asked, getting down on his knees, the melting snow seeping into his pants. "Here let me help you," he said, helping to put away some of their belongings.

The person still wasn't looking at him, "Sorry, that must have looked really dumb," they muttered under their breath.

"Not at all. The snow is really hard to walk in. You don't know how long I've been…" He looked down at one of the picture frames and froze.

Not another dream.

The picture frame laying in the snow contained a picture of the beach, not just any picture of the beach, but a picture of him and Blaine, which Carole had taken a few days before their separation. Blaine was holding Kurt tightly, seemingly lost in his eyes as Kurt put a small flower into Blaine's hair, which had blown onto the beach.

"Why can't they ever leave me alone?" Kurt whispered, closing his eyes and willing himself to wake up.

"I can go and stay with my mom and dad at the hotel, if you want me to go that badly," he said quietly, although he didn't sound anywhere near serious.

Kurt shook his head as tears started falling from his eyes. "You're not here, I'm just dreaming."

"I'm here, and you're perfectly awake."

Kurt opened his eyes and looked at the boy in front of him, whose golden eyes were already filling with tears. "Blaine?"

"Merry Christmas, Kurt," Blaine said. It was Blaine. Blaine was here.

Kurt burst into tears immediately, so overwhelmed by what was happening. He hadn't seen Blaine in months, and he didn't imagine that he would be seeing him anytime soon.

"I've missed you so much," Kurt said while throwing himself into Blaine's arms.

"I've missed you, too. I'm sorry about not calling. My flight was delayed and my mom and I were stuck in the airport…It was going to be surprise."

"This is a pretty big surprise," Kurt mumbled into Blaine's shoulder. "I can't believe you're here. How are you here?"

"I gave myself a goal, however farfetched it might have been…that I'd be in remission by Christmas…so I could come back to you…" Kurt could feel that Blaine was trembling and taking deep breathes so he wouldn't totally lose it. "The surgery I had a few weeks ago was my bone marrow transplant…I didn't tell you because I didn't want for you to worry…but it was successful, and the doctors just gave me the okay to travel."

Kurt pulled away and just looked at him. How was this not a dream? "Are you…? Does that mean…?" Every time he tried to say something his throat would close, there were just so many emotions running through his body.

"They think the cancer's gone, and my mom said I can finish my recovery treatment here…"

Kurt felt an overwhelming feeling of relief, and he could hardly see Blaine through his tears, it's what he had been waiting for, for so long."So you're here to stay?"

"If you want me to…I brought my stuff so I could surprise you, so you'd wake up Christmas morning and see me there…I really don' t know what I was doing…" and then he muttered under his breath, "Stupid airlines screwed it up. It was supposed to be perfect."

"I'm just glad you're here, in whatever way, it doesn't matter, I'm just so happy I have you back."

Kurt wrapped himself around Blaine once more, feeling as if a weight was being lifted off his shoulders. He slid his hand around the back of Blaine's neck, and realized something wasn't quite right. He froze for a moment, pulling his hand away from where Blaine's curly hair used to be. He hadn't even noticed, the knit hat he was wearing covering up most of his head.

"I'm sorry," Blaine apologized softly while trying to pull himself out of Kurt's embrace.

"No, Blaine…" He tugged on Blaine's coat and then looked into his eyes. "You look as handsome as ever." He caressed his cheek and wiped a tear from Blaine's eye.

"I hope so, I'm wearing the complete Armani winter collection that you gave me for Christmas."

"That's where I've seen it before," Kurt said, giving Blaine a small grin, finally starting to register everything that was happening around him.

Blaine started coughing hard, and that's when Kurt remembered that that were out in the middle of below freezing temperatures, getting soaked in the snow beneath them while also getting buried by the snow falling on their heads. "We should get inside," Kurt suggested, taking Blaine's scarf and wrapping it back around his neck. He didn't want Blaine getting sick, which could really harm him since he was so weak from the chemotherapy.

Blaine nodded and stopped himself from coughing. "Kurt?" Blaine asked as Kurt started packing his belongings back into the box. Kurt looked up at him, making sure nothing was wrong. As soon as he did, Blaine took Kurt's face into his hands and kissed him, soft at first, and then becoming more needy, it was their first in over four months. "I love you," Blaine whispered, before kissing him again.

"I love you, too," Kurt breathed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the yellow taxi cab, still parked in front of them. Had he been there all along? "Uh, Blaine…" Kurt pointed to the man in the cab, who seemed to be...was he…swooning?

"Keep going!" The taxicab driver yelled to them. He must have been watching them this intently the whole time, which made Kurt blush, which was hard since his face was already pretty red from the cold.

Blaine laughed. "I kind of told him our story on the way here," Blaine admitted. "He wanted to know how it was going to end."

Kurt waved to the man in the taxi and smiled before turning back to Blaine, who was looking at him the way he always did, the way that made his heart skip a beat, the way that would forever convince Kurt that he loved him."Well, you should let him know that it's very far from over."

* * *

Kurt helped Blaine move the rest of the things into the apartment, finding himself repeatedly pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, one time so hard he probably left a bruise.

After they both changed into something dry, Kurt and Blaine sat on the couch and just talked for a while, Kurt asking so many questions at once that Blaine was having trouble answering them, although he eventually did as he held Kurt in his arms.

Blaine told him how he had planned to arrive the night before, but the flights were all delayed due to the impending snowstorm. His step-father had left Germany with his step-brother a few days earlier, because he coincidentally had some business in New York City. He said he now has a great relationship with Alex (his step-father), and sometimes he just calls him dad, because in these few months he'd been more of a father to him than his real one ever was.

His younger brother, Charlie, who had just turned five a few days before, adored Blaine. It didn't take more than a few moments for Kurt to realize it was the same boy he'd met in the coffee shop, although he was glad he hadn't figured out then, because he didn't know what he would have done.

He also found out that Rachel had known about Blaine's plan all along, which gave the reason for why she kept looking out the window so many times the night before, when Kurt really thought she was just looking for snow.

Blaine didn't go into much detail about his treatment plans now that he was in New York. His mother was staying in an apartment rented by Alex's company for a few weeks, so she could make sure everything would be running smoothly. The doctor in Germany had truly been the best in the world, giving Blaine a type of chemo that hadn't been approved in the United States quite yet, but was hopefully going to be distributed very soon.

Blaine helped Kurt get ready for the party as the  _Macy's Christmas Day Parade_  played unwatched. When Rachel finally came out of her bedroom, she seemed overwhelmed by the sight of the reunited lovers, yet not as surprised as Kurt would have expected (since she already  _freaking knew_ ).

The Christmas party had many more people in attendance than he had originally prepared for, but he was so glad it did.

Blaine's parents came, along with Charlie, who took pride in telling everyone that he was now five. Alex was fluent in both German and English, and Kurt was amazed by how much he had taught Blaine in only four months, having complete conversations where Kurt didn't know what the hell they were saying to each other, although Kurt did love it when Blaine would speak to him in German, especially when he would say,  _Ich liebe dich_.

When his own parents finally arrived, Kurt hid Blaine in his room

Blaine began the party wearing a baseball cap, which made him and Burt look like they could be father and son, but eventually Charlie made him trade it in for a Santa hat, which was much more fitting.

When Mercedes finally arrived, well, let's just say that was where Kurt lost the composure which had been trying to hold for the entirety of the party. Blaine kept his word, the first thing he said to her being, "Thank you." But they were joyful tears that he cried, because there was a time he thought that moment would never come.

They opened gifts right after dinner, Charlie being the "elf" who would bring each present from under the tree to the right person, although Kurt's favorite gift of all would always, and forever be, Blaine.

Eventually it looked as if Blaine's energy was fading about halfway through the gift exchange, and Kurt couldn't blame him, the amount of jet lag must have been awful, along with the physical exertion of being on chemotherapy. So, Kurt excused them both and took Blaine into his room, helping him get ready for bed as well as unpacking some of the things he had brought along with him, like the picture frame, which he sat on the bedside table.

Kurt couldn't stop looking at him, because he never realized how much one person could make that much of an impact on someone else's life. That this one person, just by looking at them, could make you feel so safe, and just…happy. Blaine opened the part of Kurt's self that allowed him to face his fears, and showed him that if you fight hard enough, you have the ability to create your own destiny, even though there are so many things in this world that will try to stand in your way.

Kurt turned down the bed and patted for Blaine to get in, who was wearing cute, Christmas pajamas that his mother had gotten him.

"There is something that still needs to be done," Blaine said, walking to get something in the closet.

"And what is that?"

"Your Christmas present," Blaine told him while turning around, in his hands a medium-sized wrapped box and smile on his face.

"I thought you were my Christmas present."

Blaine blushed as sat next to Kurt on the bed, handing him the wrapped gift. "Then I guess we're both getting two presents this year." He kissed Kurt on the cheek and tapped the box. "Go ahead, open it."

Kurt ripped off the paper and stuck the bow on Blaine's forehead, which caused both boys to laugh, and for Kurt to hear his favorite sound in the world. When the paper was finally off he was left with the clothes box which he had sent Blaine's Christmas present in. "Are you re-gifting me?" Kurt asked.

"It was the only box I could find that it fit into. I really hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," Kurt assured him.

He slowly opened the box to what Kurt thought was just any ordinary blanket, but when he finally took it out, it was a quilt, with squares which held designs in them, designs that looked awfully familiar.

"Before you say anything, I would like to explain," Blaine said. Kurt nodded and helped Blaine unfold the quilt so it was draped over both of their laps.

"I made it, with the help of mom…well, a lot of help from my mom and her knitting group, whom of which all spoke German so I couldn't understand a thing they said but…" Blaine grazed the top of the quilt with his hand, like he was remembering everything that went into it. "I started making it while I was in the hospital, because I had so much time alone, it helped me think of you."

"It's very beautiful," Kurt said softly, still in awe that Blaine would spend all that time making something for him.

"Each patch symbolizes a memory, or a group of memories, that I had of you. Like that one," he pointed to a patch which looked like an ice cream cone, "That one is for when we would go to  _Susie's_ together." He pointed to another square, which was covered in stars. "That one is for when we'd lie out under the stars together…and that one over there, are the fireworks we watched on the Fourth of July…and that one, is for cakes we never made that one weekend." Kurt giggled as Blaine told him what each square symbolized. It was truly a summer he'd never forget.

"And I was thinking," Blaine continued after he finished telling Kurt about that last square, "that we could add onto it, with every new memory, so we never forget, even if we get old and gray, or get Alzheimer's like Miss Annie, we'll always be able to look at this, and remember that we once loved someone so much, that even the little things became the greatest memories."

Kurt took the quilt and held it to his cheek, it reminded him of a baby blanket, but he wasn't going to look that far into the future of course. "We could add one for today," Kurt suggested, looking up. "Like a Christmas tree or something, for the day you came back."

"For the day I came home…"

Kurt smiled and gave Blaine a long, gentle kiss as the snow fell outside his window. This was definitely a Christmas to remember, and hopefully, it would be the first of many to come, in which he'd be looking into Blaine's eyes on Christmas morning.

* * *

Kurt lay on his stomach beside Blaine and watched him fall asleep, lightly tracing shapes onto his arm. As he looked at him, he realized how much Blaine had changed. When he first saw him, he was tan, muscular, what Kurt had associated with beauty. But now, with his curly hair gone, his skin pale, and his body small, he realized that he'd never seen anyone so close to perfection in all his life, because no matter what Blaine looked like, he'd always be perfect to Kurt, and nothing could change that.

"Are you going to come back to the party?" He heard Rachel's voice ask. Kurt looked over to her in the doorway and covered his lips with his finger, telling to her to be quiet. Once she realized Blaine was sleeping she apologized and left, not fast enough for Blaine not to wake up.

"Is everything alright?" Blaine asked sleepily, trying to open his eyes.

"Shh…Go back to sleep," he told him softly while giving him a kiss on the forehead.

Blaine opened his eyes and smiled, "Thank you for saving my life."

"You were the one who fought so hard."

"You know, my doctors asked me about music therapy, but I told them I already had a voice who could cure cancer singing to me every night."

Kurt doubted his singing had much to do with Blaine's recovery, although he did hear many stories of how music has save people's lives.

"Would you like me to sing for you?" Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded and closed his eyes, "Always."

So, as Kurt had been doing for the past four and a half months, he began to sing. But now, that same person who he'd sang to across an ocean, was laying right beside him.

" _I see trees of green, red roses too_  
I see them bloom for me and you  
And I think to myself…

_What a wonderful world…"_

And what a wonderful world it truly was.


	26. Epilogue

"And over there," he said pointing to a cluster of stars in the perfectly clear night sky, "That's Orion, you would be able to see him during the winter at home, if you could see the stars over the bright lights." He paused for a moment and Kurt finally thought he was done, but as always, there were never too many stars in the night sky. "Oh! And over there are the Pleiades, or most commonly known as the Seven Sisters."

"Sometimes I feel like you enjoy this more because of the stars than because of me," Kurt joked.

When he didn't respond, Kurt looked over and saw Blaine's beautiful golden eyes staring back at him, still as bright as the first time he ever saw him, maybe even brighter. "What are you staring at?" Kurt asked.

"My husband…" Blaine hummed.

Kurt rolled over and rested his head on Blaine's chest, feeling it rise and fall as he breathed. "Hmm…I like being your husband," Kurt said, looking down at the gold ring placed on his left hand. "Actually, I really like it."

"So, Mr. Hummel-Anderson, how are you enjoying your honeymoon? Or  _our_ honeymoon to be more precise."

He rested his chin on his hands and looked at Blaine."Well, Mr. Hummel-Anderson, one could say that I am enjoying it quite immensely." They were laying in an open field, which stretched for miles around, with total silence, except for the light sound of the bugs chirping into the night.

"We could have gone to Paris you know," Blaine noted.

Kurt covered Blaine lips with his finger, "Ah ah ah, we made a deal, I got to pick where we went on our honeymoon, and you got to pick our last name. Australia was always my first choice anyway."

"I find that hard to believe. As I can recall, it was _my_  dream location."

"And as I can recall, your dreams are my dreams. And besides, I already have Paris booked for our first anniversary."

"Well, I wouldn't put much money down on it, you'll probably be working."

"We don't know how long they're going to keep me on the show, Blaine. They could fire me after the opening night for all we know."

"My husband is going to be a Broadway star," Blaine sang.

"It's a minor role, I'm not a star…"

"You're my star," Blaine told him.

"And you're still as cheesy after all these years," Kurt laughed.

"You love it."

"Of course I do." Kurt smiled and gave Blaine a small kiss. "Well, my husband has an internship with NASA next summer." When Blaine was finally out of treatment, he applied to a small college in New York, getting accepted and then majoring in astronomy with an in depth study of astrophysics, as well as graduating at nearly the top of his class.

"I'm just going to be studying the stars through the Hubble, no big deal…"

Kurt rolled his eyes and hit Blaine playfully on the shoulder. "Oh, no big deal huh? Ten chosen out of thousands of applicants. Nope, no big deal."

"Okay…maybe it's kind of a big deal."

"Mhm." Kurt gave Blaine a kiss on the nose and laid back onto the grass.

"Leaving me so soon?" Blaine rolled onto his side and trailed his fingers down Kurt's arm. "Do you remember Jake's Branch Park?"

"How could I forget?" That's where their meadow was, although they hadn't been there for years.

"Do you remember what we used to do there?"

Kurt remembered all the times they went home with grass stained jeans and swollen lips, their hair a mess and their hearts about to beat out of their chests. "You could remind me…" Kurt mused.

Blaine gradually made his way toward Kurt and hovered over him. He looked down at Kurt and just stared. "I really think I would be okay with just looking at you for the rest of my life," Blaine said while caressing Kurt's cheek.

Kurt smiled. "Well good, because you're stuck with me." Yes they'd had their ups and downs over the years, but at this moment, Kurt knew he wouldn't have chosen anyone else to spend the rest of his life with.

Blaine laughed and gave Kurt a light kiss. "I wouldn't ask for anything else."

Kurt laced their fingers together and stared into Blaine's eyes, which shone brightly under the stars. "For  _our_ forever."

Kurt didn't like thinking back to the time when he didn't believe he and Blaine would have a future, that time when he had to pretend that this day could become a reality. But when he did think back to their first summer, he thought mostly about how they knew, even then, that they wouldn't ever give up on each other. When those vows said "in sickness and in health", it wasn't even a question, because no matter how hard things became, they would always care for each other, until the day when one would have to live without the other. They knew because they had already been through it, they already knew what is was like to almost lose that one person they held so dear, that would do anything to save them.

And that's why their futures changed so much more than they had originally planned, or originally had created in their "pretend" future. Kurt chose to give Blaine his dream, to let him watch the stars in the most beautiful place in the world, because the smile on Blaine's face and the look in his eyes would never come close to that Eiffel Tower. And Blaine chose to let Kurt's last name be first, because Kurt, the blue eyes that he would wake up to everyday, would always be the first thing in his life, alphabetical or not.

Something that would never change, would be spending their summers in Ocean City, in Aunt Annie's house, watching the waves roll in and the sun rise in the horizon. Each new memory, as small as they might be, became a piece of their ever growing quilt, the one they'd spent hours to create, the one that made them smile from ear to ear, and made Kurt remember a time where he may have taken life for granted. Kurt felt lucky, because he knew that the small moments are what make a lifetime, and he learned how to live each day like it was his last, how make each second of time the most precious thing in the world.

Sometimes he was forced to imagine what their lives would have been like if they had never found each other, if Blaine had never saved his life, or if he had never saved Blaine's. But that was only in the bad dreams, the dreams that occurred so rarely anymore that they were almost nonexistent. But when he did have them, he would wake up and look over at Blaine, who would be sleeping next to him, and smile, because he would be there for so many years to come.

Kurt wouldn't change it, he wouldn't change a moment. Because if life were easy, then it may not be as worth living, because the difficult times make the great ones that much more beautiful.

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I know this story was probably an emotional roller coaster and I'm so glad you decided to stick through to the end. My tumblr is rachelovesklaine if you would like to drop by and say hi :)


End file.
